Scream Filled Nights
by rachael-green-bakura
Summary: Zorc has returned with a new plan to take over the world of the living, and six people have to stop him. Yaoi BxR YxY MxM little bit of SxJ
1. Chapter 1

"Jacob, we cannot simply sit back an ignore this!" screamed a Goddess with waist-length auburn hair.

"I am well aware of that, Sara!" shouted Jacob, the golden-haired God. "Do not think that we will not take action on a threat as blatant as this."

Sara hung her head, pouting. A black-haired God, who had hung back in the shadows for the majority of the argument, spoke.

"Sara, are there any souls in the world of the living, the Shadow Realm, or Heaven that could be sent to the world of the living to be on guard for this threat?"

Sara closed her eyes, frowning in concentration as she mentally sorted the countless souls in the three dimensions. She smiled at the results. "Peter, there is one soul in level three of Heaven, one soul in the Shadow Realm, and _four_ souls in the world of the living that have the power to resist this potential threat. And _one_…" she continued, smiling wider, "has already been to see us."

"Bring him here," commanded Peter.

* * *

Bakura was sleeping deeply. The only thing he was wearing was his underwear, and he was so tightly wrapped in the blanket that it looked like a cocoon.

"Bakura…"

Bakura turned over in his sleep, figuring it was part of his dream.

"Bakura!"

"Mmm…." Bakura groaned in his sleep and rolled over again, twisting the blanket further.

"Damn it, Bakura!"

With a cry, Bakura fully woke, toppling over the side of the bed onto the carpet, succeeding in giving his shoulder a rug burn. He hissed in pain and annoyance, convinced that the voice he had heard had been part of his dream and it was the fall that woke him. He attempted to untangle himself from the blanket in the dark.

"It's about time you woke up, thief."

Bakura froze. He slowly looked up and jumped to his feet, falling back down again as the blanket was twisted around his ankle, when he saw the Goddess he had hoped not to see again anytime soon standing in his bedroom.

"Holy ass of Ra!" he cried, trying to cover his almost-naked body with the blanket still wrapped tightly around his ankles and blushing deeply.

"Nice to see you again, too," Sara smirked.

"Why," he asked, succeeding on getting back on his bed and covering himself, "are you here in my bedroom at—" he glanced at the clock "—five in the morning?"

"Because you are needed," she stated simply.

"What?" he asked, suddenly fearful. The last time he had been "needed" he had been forced to drag an abusive seven-year-old girl halfway across town all day. "Now? Can't it wait until morning?"

"No," she said. "It must be now." Sara placed the heel of her palm on Bakura's forehead, and the next thing Bakura felt was a horrible, excruciatingly painful feeling like he was being ripped in two. He tried to scream in agony, but his body wouldn't respond to any of his commands. Then suddenly, Bakura was on his feet, fully clothed, and immediately fell to him knees. The pain was gone as abruptly as it had started, but he was still white, gasping, and trembling.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," he growled, shooting the Goddess a venomous look. Then it occurred to him that he didn't know what "that" was. "What the fuck did you do?"

"I separated your soul from your body," Sara replied.

Bakura turned to look at the bed and gasped; there was his body, white-faced and limp, unmistakably dead.

"A body needs it's soul to survive," Sara answered his unasked question. "The body will resume its bodily functions again once your soul is back inside it."

Before Bakura could respond, Sara grasped his upper arm and in a flash of light they were both gone.

Bakura staggered slightly when they reappeared. He had teleported several times with his Ring, but he wasn't used to teleporting, through other dimensions no less, without Shadow Magic.

"Welcome back, Bakura Touzoku," said Jacob with his usual smile.

"What the hell am I doing back here?" Bakura shouted, his voice echoing around the Hall of Judgment. "We had a deal, dammit! I get to stay with Ryo if I escort his kid sister!" He paled. "He doesn't have another sibling, does he?"

"No, Bakura Touzoku, I'm afraid that this is much more serious than a simple escort. We may need your help to stop a threat to the entire world of the living that we have no control over."

"Why?" asked Bakura. "You're Gods! You should be able to do anything!"

"We cannot hold physical bodies, and therefore cannot enter that world in a form that would be useful to you," said Jacob sadly.

"Sara did!" protested Bakura.

"I was a spirit," said Sara. "You could see me and touch me because you too are a spirit. I was not solid."

"Oh." was Bakura's smart reply.

"You and five companions will have to do this alone," continued Jacob. "Two of your companions have already heard what I am about to tell you, and the three of you will, in turn, inform your remaining three companions."

"Okay…" Bakura had the urge to ask who these companions were, but a feeling in his gut told him he'd find out soon enough. Instead he asked, "What is this threat that has you three so worried?"

Sara bit her lip and twirled a lock of hair around her finger; Peter looked at the floor; Jacob spoke. "Zorc has become greedy. He is the ruler of Hell and the Shadow Realm, but he wants more. He has been hinting about wanting the world of the living ever since he missed his first opportunity that arose three thousand years ago. We think that he is finally making his move. We believe that he is creating a demon army."

"Believe!" cried Sara. "Jacob, we know he is! He practically bragged to us about his army!"

Bakura's mouth and throat were dry. He felt all the blood draining out of his face. He tried to wet his lips, but there was no moisture on his tongue to do so. His legs felt weak, and he sank to his knees, trembling.

"No fucking way. Zorc creating an army…just to take over our world? No…we'll all be murdered in our beds. And six people…have to stop him?"

"Your companions responded the same way," said Peter.

Sara hung her head; Bakura thought he saw a tear on her cheek before her hair hid her face. Her voice trembled slightly when she spoke. "We're sorry…to push this on your shoulders."

"Sorry!" Bakura's voice had shot up an octave; he sounded hysterical. "What the hell am I gonna do? This changes everything! Ryo's birthday is in a week, how am I gonna tell him what I want to tell him with _this_ hanging over my head!"

"I know…," said Sara, still hanging her head. "This isn't exactly something you want to be thinking of when you tell someone you love them."

Bakura felt all the blood rush back into his face as he blushed. It was scary how she could read his mind sometimes.

"Who are my companions?" he asked, eager to get off the topic and because he couldn't fight the urge to ask any longer.

"Oh, I think you know them quite well," Jacob smiled.

"Fluuuuuuffy!"

Bakura let out a noise that sounded like a mixture between "ugh" and "oof" when something heavy collided with his back and sent his sprawling from his kneeling position to the floor, the thing lying on his back.

"Marik, get off me," he said in a low voice, blowing his hair out of his face.

Marik let him up. Bakura began to wonder who the other one was. Then he realized that since Marik was here, the only one it could be was the one who had the power to release him from the Shadow Realm. Bakura paled before he even heard the mocking voice.

"Long time, no see, tomb robber."

* * *

Bakura's soul reentered his body (with much less pain than exiting) the same instant a bucket of ice water was thrown on him. He sat bolt upright.

"Aug! What. The. _Hell_, Ryo!"

But his protests were cut off as Ryo threw himself around Bakura's neck, sobbing onto his shoulder.

"You weren't waking up and you weren't breathing and you had no pulse, I didn't know what to do!" Ryo cried.

"So you throw ice water on me? That's not how you wake up the dead." Bakura wrapped his arms apologetically around Ryo when he cried harder at the word "dead". Bakura mentally kicked himself for making Ryo so upset and worried. He hugged the boy close, softly explaining what happened to the body when the soul had a literal out-of-body experience and apologizing countless times for making him worry so much.

* * *

Yugi sat on his bed, staring into space with his back to the door.

He heard his grandpa talking to someone downstairs. The shop wasn't open yet, why would that be?

Yugi's bedroom door opened, but Yugi was too zoned out to notice. He jumped violently as he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his waist.

"Miss me, aibou?"

Yugi gasped and spun around, engaging his yami in a passionate kiss.

* * *

Malik's doorbell rang. He opened it and was immediately glomped by someone he recognized instantly.

"Hikari-pretty!"

Malik didn't answer as he crushed his lips against Marik's.

* * *

In all three houses, the hikaris were asking what happened while their yami was away. In all three houses, the yami's face fell as the severity of the situation interrupted the happy reunion. In all three houses, the yamis were pulling the smaller one into his lap, whispering, "Hikari…there's something I gotta tell you." not wanting to see the terrified faces of the one they loved that was sure to come, as they buried their faces into the dark's chest and begged them to say that they were lying.

* * *

I don't own YuGiOh, and if I did then I never would've sold it to 4Kids. Jacob, Peter, and Sara are mine though.

And in case you didn't figure it out, Ryo, Malik, and Yugi are the other three companions.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**It is time,** boomed Zorc.

The huge army of demons whooped and cheered at their lord's statement. The demons were tiny; they were no more than two feet tall each. They were a red just a shade lighter than blood and had glowing red eyes. Ivory horns curved downward, circling the lipless jaw and exposed teeth. Thin, bat-like wings sprouted from their backs, all the wing bones and membranes visible. An onyx-black crystal was studded into each and every one of their chests.

**I have waited three thousand years for this moment,** Zorc rumbled, **and my army is finally complete!**

I had another shot at dominating that puny world one year ago. You were not ready, so I did not take you with me. That was my own mistake; I could have used you, incomplete or not, when that damn pharaoh and moronic thief got in my way.

"But Lord Zorc," squeaked a demon close to Zorc, "wasn't the thief acting on your orders?"

Zorc reached out and touched the tip of one of his claws to the crystal on the offender's chest. The tip of the claw glowed orange, reflecting in the demon's fear-filled eyes. There was a flash and a scream. The demon was incinerated, nothing more but a pile of ash.

**Does anyone else wish to back sass me?** asked Zorc, almost lazily.

There was much shaking of heads amongst the soldiers and a few mumbled "no"s.

**Good. Before we do anything, we are to take out my enemies of old. Our first target is Domino, Japan. Find the Pharaoh Atem and Bakura Touzoku and kill them! Kill them, kill those close to them, and kill anyone who stands in your way! We move tonight! Now GO!**

* * *

Bakura was only half awake when he felt his hikari stir in his arms. He knew the boy was still asleep. "Shh, Koibito," he whispered, stroking Ryo's soft white hair and holding him tighter.

Ryo snuggled closer at Bakura's touch, nuzzling into his bare chest. Ryo calmed in Bakura's safe embrace and his breathing became slow and even again. Bakura continued to stroke Ryo's hair absently, lost in his sleepy thoughts.

Bakura was almost completely asleep when Ryo stirred again. He felt Ryo leave his arms and opened his eyes, rubbing sleep from them and yawning. Ryo was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Mmm Ryo? What're you doing?" he asked sleepily.

Ryo yawned. "'M thirsty. I'll be right back."

"Mmkay." Bakura yawned and rolled over. The red numbers on the clock said one in the morning.

Bakura felt his boyfriend get off the bed and saw the light from the bathroom down the hall flick on. The door closed, cutting off the light flooding into the hallway. Bakura shut his eyes and shivered, missing Ryo's warmth already. He pulled the blanket around him tighter, trying to fall asleep.

Then he heard a lot of glass shattering, a thud, and Ryo scream in pain and terror.

Instantly wide awake, Bakura leapt out of bed and tore down the hall to the bathroom. "Holy—!" There was a strange creature on the floor, surrounded by broken glass from the small window it had broken getting in and blood. Ryo's blood. For a moment, Bakura panicked, unable to locate his lover, but them followed the creature's gaze and saw Ryo whimpering in the corner. His face was white and there were unshed tears of fear and pain in his eyes. Bakura couldn't see where he was injured, but the fact that he was hurt pissed Bakura off. A lot.

"Ryo…," he breathed. Bakura suddenly saw red. "Hey, you fucking bastard!!" he screamed, twisting around and back-kicking the demon. He grabbed the closest object with which he could cause mass destruction with, which happened to be a toilet plunger. He held it in front of him like a samurai sword.

The demon shook its head to clear it and turned to face Bakura, forgetting about the trembling hikari in an instant. The demon snickered.

"You look just like the one Lord Zorc ordered us to kill," it hissed in a reedy voice, "only without the trenchcoat."

"And you look just like a smaller red version of 'Lord Zorc'," hissed Bakura, his eyes flashing, "only without the dragon penis."

The demon hissed like a snake. Bakura heard Ryo get up slowly, whimpering in pain, and move behind him for protection, but Bakura did not dare avert his gaze from Zorc's soldier.

"Ryo?" he breathed.

"Yeah?" whispered Ryo behind him, his voice an octave higher in fear.

"Go back to the bedroom. My switchblade is inside my pillowcase, on the side under the pillow. Bring it to me."

Ryo nodded, which Bakura couldn't see, and left the room.

"Clever move, sending for a better weapon," hissed the demon. "You won't be able to do much with a plunger."

"Shut your damn mouth before I rip it OUT!"

Bakura screamed the last word and lunged forward, whacking the demon over the head as hard as he could. He dazed it for a second, but it quickly recovered and bit the rubber end.

With a yell of fury, Bakura whipped the plunger hard in the opposite direction. He dislodged the demon, who hit the wall, shattering the tiles.

"BAKURA!" he heard Ryo yell behind him.

Bakura threw the plunger to the side and caught the knife Ryo threw at him. He twirled it around his head and in swirly patterns in the air, just to be dramatic. He approached the demon, who was still dazed on the floor, and licked the blade.

"I have been given a sharp object of mass destruction. Any last words?" he asked, ginning like a maniac.

"I'm in deep shit, aren't I?" it growled, its ruby eyes flashing defiantly in the face of death.

"Straight up." And Bakura stabbed. He stabbed and stabbed it over and over again. This thing had hurt Ryo, had terrified him, had made him cry. That was to be repaid in blood. Five stab wounds for every drop of Ryo's blood on the bathroom floor seemed like a more-than-fair price to Bakura.

Bakura continued to stab long after the demon was dead. He plunged the knife repeatedly into the large pile of ash it had dissolved into when its last breath had gone. Black blood stained Bakura's hands, his pants, and the floor.

The ash scattered under the onslaught of the switchblade, revealing the black crystal that had been embedded in its chest. Bakura flipped the blade around and smashed the hilt onto the crystal, shattering it into a hundred tiny fragments.

Bakura stood up and spat on the remains. He wiped the blood off his hands on his pants.

Ryo shakily walked over to Bakura. He threw his arms around Bakura's neck and sobbed onto his shoulder.

"Shh, Koibito," he shushed, kissing the top of his frightened hikari's head. "It's over for now. That thing won't hurt you anymore." He still didn't know exactly how Ryo had been hurt. He was furious with the demon for making Ryo cry in fear.

Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryo to hug him close, but immediately pulled away for the duel reason that Ryo cried out in agony and his back was wet with something hot and sticky. Bakura gasped and detached Ryo's arms from around his neck, turning him around. He saw exactly what he feared he would see: the back of Ryo's shirt was torn and completely covered in blood.

"That little _fuckface,_" he snarled at the remains of the demon.

Ryo flinched at the sharpness of his yami's voice. Bakura turned him back to face him and started to unbutton Ryo's shirt.

"'Kura! What are you—!?" Ryo tried to button his shirt back up.

"I've got to take a look at that if you're bleeding that much!" Bakura batted Ryo's hands away.

Bakura successfully got the shirt off, concern flicking in his eyes when Ryo gasped with pain as the fabric on his back moved. He turned Ryo around again and Ryo heard his sharp intake of breath as he saw Ryo's back.

"_Damn,_ Ry," he breathed, horrified.

There were deep cuts all over Ryo's back, all of them bleeding. Bakura couldn't tell how many cuts there were because there was so much blood. Bits of broken glass were jutting out of most of the wounds.

"What the _hell_ did it do to you?" he asked, seeing red because of the dead demon.

Ryo hesitated before answering. "When it broke through the window, some of the glass landed on me. It pounced on me and pushed me down, which dug the glass already on me deeper and stuck more glass from the floor in."

Bakura was silent for a time, staring at Ryo's wounds without seeing them. Then he sighed and walked past Ryo to the medicine cabinet and took out the first aid kit. He turned back to Ryo and sighed again. "We should at the very least get the glass out."

Ryo paled but nodded. Bakura led him back to the bedroom they shared and flicked on the light. He lay his hikari on the bed so that he was lying on his stomach.

Bakura and Ryo both gulped, both knowing the pain Bakura was about to cause the younger boy. "Okay…I'm going to take out this big shard in your shoulder first."

"'Kura, please, don't tell me what you're going to do," whimpered Ryo. "Just do it."

Bakura paused. "The voice of experience says that talking will distract you from the pain."

"I don't care! 'Kura, just get it over with," pleaded Ryo.

Bakura hesitated, indecision and concern and self-loathing flickering in his eyes. Then he nodded. "Okay." He gripped the shard jutting out of his hikari's shoulder blade. "Ready?"

Ryo nodded and gripped the blanket under him in a death grip. "Just shut up and do it."

Bakura ripped the shard out fast, knowing from experience that it would be longer and more painful if he eased it out slowly and deliberately. Ryo bit his lip but could not hold back a whimper of pain. Bakura noticed him tighten his grip on the blanket until his knuckles turned white.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, moving to the next piece of glass.

Ryo shook his head, dismissing Bakura's apology, but didn't speak. He squeezed his eyes shut when he felt the stabbing agony as Bakura removed another shard.

This process went on for much longer than the two males hoped it would. Bakura felt as if it were just as painful for him as it was for the smaller whitenette. Bakura's stomach fluttered with guilt every time Ryo gasped or whimpered and it wasn't long before his gut felt completely hollow. He hated doing this to Ryo and cursed Zorc a thousand times for making it necessary in the first place. Once or twice he had to use his knife to get a small piece wedged in too deep for him to simply pull it out. A few times he tried to start a one-sided conversation with Ryo, not expecting him to respond, but Ryo always told him to shut up and work. Now the only things Bakura said were quiet shushes when Ryo moaned or whimpered and whispered apologies when Ryo squirmed or tensed up.

"That was the last one, I think," said Bakura after an hour, flicking a tiny blood-flecked shard into the now-full trashcan he had dragged over.

Ryo tried to sit up but hissed as his bleeding back arched and lay back down. He tried his best to look at his yami from his lying down position. He recognized the object in Bakura's hand as a roll of bandages.

"Wait, 'Kura, aren't you going to disinfect the wounds?" he asked hesitantly.

Bakura froze. "I think I must have heard you wrong. Did you just say that you _wanted_ me to put rubbing alcohol on open wounds?"

Ryo flinched when he caught what his yami was saying. "Yes, I did," he said reluctantly.

Bakura slowly put the bandages back and took the alcohol out of the kit. "Are you sure?"

"Dammit, Bakura, I'm sure!" he snapped.

Bakura sighed in defeat and Ryo heard the swish of the bottle being turned upside-down onto a cotton ball. He tried to relax.

Ryo knew that it was going to hurt, but nothing could have prepared him for this. Ryo wailed and grabbed his pillow, biting it as hard as he could. Bakura flinched at Ryo's cry and cried out, "I'm sorry! I'll stop if you want!"

Ryo screamed into the pillow but shook his head, knowing it had to be done. The pain had faded somewhat when it started right back up again on the next cut. Ryo closed his eyes, crystal tears escaping from under his eyelids, as the alcohol set his nerves on fire.

When the long, painful ordeal for both of them was over, Bakura helped Ryo sit up. Bakura wrapped the bandages around Ryo's torso, pulling them tight. Ryo winced but no sound escaped from between his clenched teeth.

Bakura pulled the smaller boy into his lap, carefully avoiding the wounds. He had caused the boy far too much pain tonight already.

Bakura had his head down with his bangs covering his eyes. When he spoke, his voice cracked. "It killed me to do that to you. I'm so incredibly sorry. I wish it had been me." He brushed the tearstains on Ryo's cheeks away. Ryo could feel his lover's hand shaking.

Ryo was very concerned. Bakura was always so calm, so strong. To see his yami this guilty and upset was almost too much for Ryo to bare. It had really torn the older one apart to do what he had done. He wrapped his arms around Bakura's waist, hugging him tight, and lay his head on Bakura's chest.

"Don't be sorry," he whispered. "It wasn't your fault I got hurt and I'm grateful for you helping. It would've hurt a lot more if you had left it alone."

Bakura slipped his arms around Ryo's neck in silent appreciation. What could he say? Ryo's blood was on his fingers, something he never wanted again. After holding his hikari for several minutes, he eased his way into a laying down position, making sure that Ryo was on his stomach, off his wounds. "You try and get some sleep."

Ryo shifted himself so that his head was resting on Bakura's chest. "What about you?"

"I don't trust that Zorc only sent one soldier. I'm also worried by the fact that I killed it that easily. That shouldn't have been so easy; it hardly put up a fight. I'm staying up to keep watch."

"'Kura, I—"

"_Don't_ argue with me, Ryo!" he snarled, his eyes flashing with anger. His gaze softened when he saw fear flicker through those beautiful chocolate eyes he loved so much. "I'm sorry, Koibito. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's not you I'm mad at. I just don't want to be caught off guard and have you get hurt again because of it. I'd be an awful yami if I didn't even try to protect my innocent hikari."

* * *

Ryo woke sometime later. His yami's warm chest was beneath his head, rising and falling with his breathing. A hand was soothingly stroking his hair to calm the nightmares Ryo had been having seconds before. The clock said noon. Ryo tried to get up, but pain shot through his back, reminding him of the night before and he wondered how he could have slept at all.

"Did we really sleep that late?" he asked his concerned yami.

"No. _You_ slept that late. I've been sitting up all night and morning keeping watch and pretending to be your pillow for hours."

"Don't act like you don't like snuggling, you know you do."

"This isn't snuggling, Ry. This is you using me as a pillow."

"Shut up and help me. I can't get up without pain shooting through my spine."

Without hesitation, Bakura picked his hikari up bridal style. Ryo wrapped his arms around Bakura's neck to relieve some of the pressure Bakura's hand caused on his back. Bakura proceeded to carry him downstairs instead of putting him down.

"'Kura, I can walk," Ryo protested weakly, he certainly didn't mind Bakura carrying him, and Bakura seemed to like it, too.

Bakura sat Ryo on the couch and sat behind him, where he immediately began to knead Ryo's back with his knuckles. Ryo started to cry out, confused that Bakura would deliberately hurt him, but his cry died in his throat when he realized that his wounds didn't hurt, but actually felt quite good.

"What are you doing?" he asked, leaning into his yami's hands.

"It's an old trick I learned back in Egypt," replied Bakura. "If you massage a wound in _exactly_ the right way, it tricks the nerves into thinking that they were never damaged and it feels good instead of hurting."

"Well, it feels great," Ryo moaned.

Bakura continued to massage Ryo for a few minutes. It was with great reluctance that Ryo said, "I'm going to go see if there's any mail."

"Why do you have to go? I'll go!"

"Nah, that's okay, 'Kura," said Ryo, getting up. "My back feels much better now and I feel a bit useless just sitting here while you take care of me." He left to go to the mailbox. Bakura sat there pouting until he returned with a parcel.

"There was just this. For you." Ryo handed him a plain brown package with a note tied on top. "Read the note out loud?"

Bakura nodded and unfolded the note. "_'Dear Bakura. Zorc has made his move. Last night he sent three soldiers to your world, one to each of the yami/hikari houses. All three have been successfully killed. Zorc plans to release his entire army tonight. This time his target is all of Domino. Hope the gift I enclosed for you helps you fight. Sara.'_ What the hell!? Real fucking helpful, you bitch!"

Bakura crumpled the note and threw it to the floor. Ryo was white while Bakura was flushed with fury.

"Please…let's see what she sent."

Bakura huffed but obeyed Ryo and opened the package. He stared disbelieving at the contents for a moment.

"What is it?" asked Ryo.

Bakura reached into the box and held up the Millennium Ring, staring at it with his mouth slightly open as it glittered in the afternoon sunlight.

A/N Nyeha I gave him his Ring back. I hate myself for doing that to Ryo. Rubbing alcohol on open wounds isn't fun, trust me. It severely tests my masochistic levels every time. That massage thing actually works though. The trouble is knowing exactly how to do it though, it usually does more harm than good. Which is why I only try it on myself. But it does work.

Hmm...for once I don't have a long story to write here. Only that I have a lot of self-loathing for doing this to Ryo. But hey, at least I went a whole chapter where I didn't hurt 'Kura. Oh, and Koibito means Lover for those of you who didn't know. I hate this chapter. I really do. How I loathe it...

I don't own YuGiOh, and if I did then Bakura wouldn't be such an insufferable ass to his hikari. (Oh, you know I love you, 'Kura.)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Millennium Ring glittered and gleamed in the sunlight like it had never been cast into a bottomless pit. Ryo glared at it warily while Bakura's whole body went numb with shock as he held the best thing he had ever stolen and believed to be lost forever.

Bakura slipped the leather cord around his neck, loving the familiar weight. The rods of the Ring jingled together. Shadows in the corners stirred as the Shadow Magic coursed through Bakura's body. He grinned. "Turn around," he told Ryo.

Ryo did as he was told after a slight hesitation. Bakura lifted the boy's shirt and began to undo the bloody bandages. Ryo yelped and tried to twist around, but stopped as pain seared through his back.

"Shh, just let me try this," Bakura crooned as the bandages slipped off. He gently put his hands on his hikari's back, feeling him tense. Dark purple Shadow Magic spread over Ryo's back from Bakura's hands.

Ryo gasped as every one of his wounds burned white hot. Bakura whispered quiet reassurances. Then Bakura's hands left the younger boy's flesh and the pain was gone. All of it. He could hear the glee in Bakura's voice when he nearly squealed, "I can use my Shadow Powers again! I've never been as adept at healing magic as the Pharaoh, but it's the best I could do."

Ryo gasped with comprehension and reached around to feel the small of his back. The skin was perfectly smooth. He hugged his yami. "Thank you, 'Kura."

Bakura returned the hug tightly before saying, "I'm going to call Marik and Malik to see if they're alright. Just because their demon was killed doesn't mean that they weren't hurt."

"Okay," replied Ryo. "I'll call Yugi on the other phone."

Ryo went into the kitchen and Bakura picked up the phone on the end table. He dialed the Ishtar's number and waited impatiently for Malik to pick up.

"_Hello?_" said the deep voice on the other end.

"_Marik!?_" Bakura questioned, shocked.

"_Yeah. Bakura, what's up? You sound surprised._"

"I am. Malik _never_ lets you answer the phone!"

"_Hikari-pretty is safe from the demon army while I send forks to the Shadow Realm with my Rod._"

"Wow, Marik. Insert obvious Rod joke here. So Sara sent you your Millennium Item, too, huh? And what do you mean, 'Malik is safe'?"

"_I locked Hikari-pretty in the tiny room in the hallway where he'll be safe._"

"You locked Malik in the closet!?"

"_Hikari-pretty will be safe there!_"

Bakura heard running footsteps, a very loud clang, and Marik yell, "_OW_!"

"_You asshole! You bastard! You pathetic excuse for a yami!_"

"_Hikari-pretty, how did you get out? You were safe there!_"

"_Eat frying pan, you idiot!!_"

There was another clang and another "Ow!". Bakura was laughing.

"Hey, Marik, put me on speaker phone, I wanna hear this," he said, even though Malik was yelling loud enough for him to hear perfectly well anyway. There was a beep and Malik became a lot louder.

"_You're a much bigger danger than Zorc if your 'protection' is locking me in a closet, you son of a bitch!_"

"_Hikari-pretty…_"

Bakura was now laughing on the floor at Marik's predicament. Malik was cut off for a second, but there was a loud smack, a cry of pain, and Malik continued.

"_Don't think you can get out of this with kisses, you horny slut!_"

"_You're so mean, that left a handprint…_"

"_Shut up, no sex for you tonight!_"

"_But Hikari-pretty!_"

Ryo reentered the living room and watched his yami rolling on the floor with a questioning look. Bakura, unable to answer for laughing, hit the speaker phone button and Malik's yells echoed around the living room. Ryo smiled but didn't find the Marik abuse as funny as Bakura did. We went over to the phone and called into the speaker, "Hey, Malik? Marik?"

"_Marik, gimme back my pants!_"

Bakura couldn't breathe from laughing and was shaking with silent laughter as there was no more air to make sound. Ryo giggled. "Hey, guys!" he called, louder.

"_Oh, hey, Ryo. When did you get here? Marik, take your hand off my ass, you're not off the hook._"

"Marik, stop molesting Malik for five seconds so I can tell you that Yami wants all the yamis and hikaris to gather at the game shop."

Bakura stopped laughing abruptly and he and the two blonds said in unison, "_WHAT_!?"

"Hikari, you aren't going to force me to be in the Baka Pharaoh's presence, are you? My sweet, innocent, precious, adorable, huggable hikari…" pleaded Bakura, horrified.

"_And we haven't done anything to you, Ryo!_" cried Marik over the phone.

Ryo raised an eyebrow—although they couldn't see it, his tone let at least the more observant Malik know he had. "Oh, really? And how many nights have you just dropped Bakura off after drinking and left, leaving me to deal with him bitching about his hangover in the morning and the embarrassment of seeing the front page, no doubt showing Bakura making a fool of himself in a fountain somewhere?"

"Twelve," Bakura answered promptly, grinning as he remembered the finer dares that the alcohol had made him do. Like swimming in the fountain at Domino Park wearing only his boxers. On his head.

"_Hey, hey, hey,_" protested Marik, "_it's not my fault Bakura will do anything when severely wasted!_"

"_And I have to listen to Marik bitch about his hangover, too, so don't think you're alone in that!_"

"Oh, shut up," said Ryo. "Your house is closer to Yugi's than ours, so if you're not there by the time we get there, I'm dragging you there myself!"

Marik and Malik laughed on the other end of the phone. Bakura answered their amusement with a loud, "Hey, assholes! Don't you think for a minute that he won't do it! Ryo can be quite mean when he actually gets mad and while it doesn't happen often, you don't want to get in his way when he actually loses it! Take it from me; he's quite skilled with a frying pan, although Marik's hair will probably just punch a hole in it! You better be there, you dickheads, or I'll come get you myself for making me suffer Pharaoh Righteous-Ass alone!" And with that, he hung up.

"I hope you realize that they know you aren't going to do anything to them," said Ryo, amused.

"Correction," said Bakura. "In the past I probably wouldn't have bothered to do more than crack their heads together. Now that I have my Ring back, and Marik knows I have it back, I can send those two in for a long time out in the Shadow Realm." He grinned.

Ryo rolled his eyes and threw Bakura's trenchcoat at him.

* * *

Malik and Marik were there when Ryo and Bakura arrived at the game shop. Malik had obviously gotten his pants back, and Marik still had a bright red handprint on his cheek.

"Nice to see you grace us with your company, tomb robber," Yami said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, go fuck yourself," retorted Bakura.

"Such a creative insult," Yami rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, I thought so."

Ryo and Yugi whacked their darks on the back of the head in unison.

"I salute you, Yugi, for plunging your hand into that hair at great risk of it impaling and/or eating said hand," said Bakura, saluting Yugi army style with one hand and rubbing the back of his head with the other.

This earned him another whack on the back of the head.

"Will you two suck it up and try to act more like yamis and less like children, please?" said Ryo.

"The reason," interrupted Yami, "that I've called you three idiots and Ryo here is to discuss last night's attack."

"We figured out that much for ourselves, Captain Hair, thank you," bit Malik.

Bakura burst out laughing. "Captain Hair…I'm gonna remember that one."

"Thank you," said Malik.

Bakura's expression darkened as he remembered last night, the reason for this discussion. "Next time I see my 'dear old friend' Zorc," he snarled, cracking his knuckles, "I'm gonna tear him _limb from limb_ for what his bastard soldier did to Ryo."

"Why? What happened?" asked Yugi, concern flashing in his amethyst eyes as he scanned Ryo up and down, evidently searching for some kind of injury.

"It broke the window and pushed me down, shoving a crapload of glass into my back. Bakura had to pull out every shard by hand."

"Ouch," said Malik, sympathetic.

"Yeah, it hurt like hell. The first thing Bakura did when he got the Ring back was heal me. And he did a _wonderful_ job, I might add," he added, giving Bakura a soft kiss on the mouth, but pulling away before the disappointed yami could ask for entrance.

Marik took this small display of affection as a cue to start fondling his own hikari. One hand on Malik's ass, he murmured, "Malik-kitty," while using the other hand to scratch Malik's head as if he were scratching a cat behind the ears. Malik leaned into his touch.

"Hello?" Yami vainly tried to get the Egyptians' attention. "Will you stop thinking about sex long enough to pay attention to the fact that _we were all attacked last night_!?"

Marik ignored him and with a soft growl pulled Malik into his lap, still scratching the saner one's head. Malik let out a purring noise before saying, "Oh, can it, Captain Hair. We killed the demons without any injury—except Ry, that is, no offence—so what's the problem?"

"That's actually something I was concerned about," spoke up Bakura. "I don't know about you guys, but I killed mine far too easily. It hardly put up a fight; it hurt Ryo and then practically rolled over and died when I showed up. If I know Zorc, and unfortunately I know him pretty well, he would not have sent something so weak to play assassin."

"I love how out of all six of us your hikari was the only one who got hurt," smirked Yami. "Guess you aren't as good at protecting what's yours as you lead us to believe."

With an oath, Bakura sprang to his feet, intent on putting every inch of Yami he could reach in extreme pain. Ryo caught his yami's shoulder and pulled him back down before calmly raising his hand and flipping Yami off.

Yami's mouth dropped open; Yugi and Malik gasped; Marik cheered; Bakura hugged Ryo, crying, "My little one learned so much from me!"

"You say that like it's a good thing," murmured Yugi so that Bakura couldn't hear, and Yami snorted with laughter.

"It won't be long until I'll be giving you your first knife!" Bakura said into Ryo's hair, his voice full of pride.

"I noticed that, too, to get back on topic," announced Malik from Marik's lap. "It really wasn't very tough. When it came in through the kitchen window, instinct told both of us to grab the nearest deadly object and so we beat it to death with a frying pan and a spatula." (A/N you don't wanna know what they were doing in the kitchen at one in the morning 0.0)

"Aibou hit it with a lamp and then I shot it," said Yami.

"I beat it with a toilet plunger and then stabbed it repeatedly in blind fury," said Bakura.

"I didn't do much, just lost a decent amount of blood and watched 'Kura stab it," said Ryo sadly.

Bakura nuzzled Ryo's neck. "Don't be silly. You got me my knife really quickly despite the fact that you could barely walk from pain."

"There was something else Yami and I noticed that concerned us greatly," said Yugi gravely. "When you killed your assassin, did it dissolve into a pile of ash?"

Malik nodded, and Bakura muttered, "Yeah."

"Well, so did ours—except for that crystal on its chest," said Yugi.

"Yeah, I noticed that," said Bakura. "But I was too far into bloodlust mode to care much at the time."

"If the crystal did not die with it's host," said Yami, "then that means that it was not originally part of the demon's body. Zorc must have put it there for some reason. But why?"

"Who knows?" said Bakura, copying Marik and pulling his hikari onto his lap. "In case you didn't notice, Mister-High-And-Mighty-Holier-Than-Thou-Pharaoh, Zorc tried to kill me, too. I doubt he would confide his plans in his old buddy Baku. I just got an instinct that the crystal was dangerous and smashed it with the hilt of my knife."

"I threw it in the fireplace," said Yami.

"I tried to eat it," said Marik.

In response to their horrified faces, Malik assured them, "I got it away from him and threw it in the blender, don't worry. And Marik sent that blender to the Shadow Realm to get rid of the pieces left behind."

"Damn, I should have done that!" exclaimed Bakura. The Millennium Ring glowed for a moment, and he relaxed and, looking a little tired, said, "There, the pieces in our bathroom are gone." He closed his eyes for a moment and held his head until the slight dizziness passed.

"'Kura…" Ryo pawed and his yami's chest with concern.

"I'm okay, Ry. Using Shadow Magic takes energy, especially at a long distance, like sending the shards in our bathroom to the Shadow Realm from here. I'll be fine in a minute, don't worry."

Yami wrapped his arm around his short lover and said, "I'm most concerned about how to protect my aibou. In the thick of battle, it would be easy to lose track of what's going on around you."

"Oh, that reminds me, thanks, Captain Hair. I better do this before I forget," said Bakura. He lifted the Ring and pressed it against Ryo's head, so that the Millennium Eye symbol was against the smaller boy's forehead. Bakura pressed his own forehead against the other side. The Millennium Ring glowed and Ryo cried out. There was a sharp, sudden pain in the back of his mind that lingered for half a second and faded completely. The pain was gone, but his mind felt different, yet somehow familiar. Like there was a familiar presence in the back of his skull.

_Ryo, can you hear me?_

Ryo squeaked as Bakura's voice reverberated through his brain, and he realized what his yami had just done. "We never used our old mind-link. I've never used one to talk before. How do you do that?" he asked out loud.

Bakura answered through the reestablished mind-link. _You just think, but try to focus the words through my presence at the back of your mind._

Like this?

Perfect. I know it feels weird at first. It takes practice, but it won't be long before using our mind-link will be second nature.

Ryo looked up to see Marik pressing the Millennium Rod to Malik's forehead and Yami pressing the Puzzle to Yugi's, setting up their own mind-links. Malik squirmed at the uncomfortable sensation; he had never had a mind-link before, had never even felt Marik's presence in his mind like Ryo had Bakura's. Yugi, on the other hand, grinned at the familiar feeling of completeness and leaned against Yami with his eyes closed, no doubt already deep in conversation with the former pharaoh.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent in silence except for an agreement that it probably wouldn't be very smart to split up and be caught off guard if the invasion was to be tonight, and therefore they should stay at the game shop until it happened. The afternoon was spent having silent conversations: Yugi savoring the link he had missed so much, Ryo steadily getting the hang of speaking through a link although occasionally just thinking instead of sending the thought to Bakura, and Malik just getting used to Marik's presence in his skull with occasional experimental statements just to be sure he could talk through their new link if need be.

By evening all conversation had ceased. Yami had grown restless and was absentmindedly taking out a piece of the Millennium Puzzle and putting it back, Yugi leaning against him with his head on the Pharaoh's shoulder. Marik had gone back to molesting his hikari and currently had one hand down Malik's pants and the other under Malik's shirt. Bakura held Ryo on his lap, one hand wrapped around Ryo tightly and the other stroking Ryo's hair like he was petting a cat.

The first stars were dusting the sky when they heard the scream, high-pitched and terrified. The three yamis and Malik, a little braver than the other two hikaris, immediately stood to their feet and rushed to look out the window. They all paled in unison when they saw the sheer size of the army attacking everything in sight.

"Holy _shit_," exclaimed Bakura, jumping back in front of Ryo defensively.

"We're fucked," said Marik in a hushed voice.

"That's why they were so weak alone. Strength in numbers," whimpered Malik, holding tightly to his yami's shirt to prevent his knees from giving way.

"There must be _millions_ of them," whispered Yami, his eyes wide.

It had begun.

sarcasmYes! I own YuGiOh! And I also own the state of California! And penguins! And all the air you breathe!/sarcasm

Yaaay Chapter 3. This I intended to be a humorous chapter but since I had the migraine to end all migraines while writing it I dunno how I did. And Ryo, I am shocked at you, flipping off someone!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Yami was the first to recover from the shock. He took a gun out of his back pocket and handed it to Yugi, who pulled back the hammer. Bakura opened a small portal to the Shadow Realm and reached inside. After a few minutes of rummaging and swearing, he withdrew his own gun, which he handed to Ryo.

"The Shadow Realm is the most convenient storage space. You know how to use that, right?" Ryo nodded, his face as white as his hair.

"Kind of," he said hesitantly.

"Kind of?"

"Well, I know you pull this back to fire…," Ryo whispered in a small voice, the fear evident in his eyes.

As Bakura took the gun and quickly taught his light how to use it, Marik took a long dagger out from his pocket and tossed it to his own hikari. Malik caught it by the hilt, a devilish gleam in his eye. Marik unsheathed the dagger in the hilt of the Millennium Rod and grinned.

"We ready?" asked Marik, running his finger along the edge of the golden blade.

Bakura took out his own knife and licked the blade. "Ready as we'll ever be. Ryo, I'd prefer you stay out of harm's way, but judging by the banging, scraping, and other noises of forced entry, that's no longer an option. Just stay close to me and stay out of the fight as much as possible." Ryo nodded, not trusting himself to open his mouth in case he threw up.

"Same order from me, Aibou—Stay close and stay safe," said Yami, squeezing Yugi's hand. Yugi was very white and gripped the gun tightly, trying to still his shaking hands.

Marik took a much different approach, as his hikari was more than capable of defending himself. He ruffled Malik's hair and said, "Let's kick some ass!" Malik grinned, a manic glint of delight in his violet eyes.

Marik opened the door, intent on being the first one to charge. Immediately, he yelled in surprise and lashed out with his knife. When he pulled back, the others saw the tip of the blade stained with black blood. Bakura pushed past him, shouting, "Let's go!"

The soldiers of Zorc's army covered every available surface, smashing and destroying almost uniformly. Citizens were trying their best to fight the army that they knew nothing about with guns, knives, and garden hoses. While they managed to kill one or two, who was in control of the battle was obvious. These people were losing. These people were dying.

(A/N You know, bacon is a wonderful way to start the day. If these people had had bacon for breakfast, this wouldn't have happened. Don't ask. I had minor writer's block at this point and so my friend who sits behind me told me to go on a random rant about bacon. I guess it worked because after writing this I knew what to write.)

Yami let out a cry of rage as he saw one of his neighbors fall under no less than twenty demons slashing and biting at his torso. Yami ran off in no general direction, his crimson irises glazed over in fury, firing off a mixture of bullets and orbs of Shadow Magic at each and every demon he saw. Yugi hurried after his dark, screaming at him to slow down through their mind-link, firing his own gun mercilessly at anything that got too close.

"Captain Hair's got the right idea!" called Malik as he slashed wildly in front of him. "We'll be able to protect more people if we split up! Marik and I will stay here!"

Bakura nodded and grabbed Ryo's hand, dragging him in the opposite direction Yami had taken. He slashed his blade wildly at anything that got within his reach and the blade was soon stained black. More than once Ryo had cried out and Bakura had turned around to dispatch a demon that had landed on the smaller boy.

"Damn it, Ryo!" he yelled after he had done this the fifth time. "Grow some balls! You have a gun! _Use it_!"

"S-sorry, 'Kura!" he stammered. Bakura didn't mean to yell at him, but these were desperate times. He let apologetic feelings flow through the link to let Ryo know, but didn't say anything out loud.

Ryo's eyes suddenly darkened with fear and he raised the gun so that it was pointing somewhere over Bakura's shoulder.

Bakura spun around and raised his knife in defense against the demon that was attempting to land on him. Bakura was momentarily deafened by a gunshot directly behind him and the crystal shattered as the bullet hit it. The demon dissolved into ash in midair.

"Nice shot, Ry!" Marik called. He ran right by them, calling over his shoulder as he went by, "We're luring them into a more enclosed area!"

Malik followed him half a second later, but stopped and gasped to the two whitenettes, "Piece of advice. Don't try to send them to the Shadow Realm. It doesn't work and just pisses them off." And with that he was hurtling off after his yami again, no less than forty demons close behind.

"Malik…!" Ryo cried after the blond in concern.

"Save it, Ry!" said Bakura. "Those two are the only ones who can take care of themselves in a fight as well as me. We have our own problems!"

* * *

Yami and Yugi had their own problems, too. They were alone in a back alley. Yami and Yugi were both decent shots, Yami significantly better, but the lack of ammunition was becoming a problem. Yugi had already run out of bullets and had been given Yami's, who was now fighting solely with Shadow Magic. Both were bleeding heavily and sporting a number of cuts and bites. Both were visibly tiring and Yami had a deep scratch on his forehead and kept having to shake the blood out of his eyes, which didn't help matters.

"We can't keep fighting like this!" said Yugi, noticing his yami's condition. Yami's limbs were trembling with fatigue and blood loss, and his face was very white. Using Shadow Magic took energy. If Bakura, who had more physical stamina than Yami, had become dizzy from sending an object a few blocks away to the Shadow Realm, than Yami would surely collapse if this continued.

Yami's vision swam as he fired off another orb of Shadow Magic. "I'm…fine…Aibou," he panted, shaking blood out of his eyes and finding that this didn't help the dizziness.

Yugi was right, and Yami knew he was right. Yami's limits were screaming at him, telling him that he would pass out if the fight went on much longer.

"I'm…going to finish this now, Aibou! Stand back!" Yami summoned every ounce of his little remaining strength and opened a door to the Shadow Realm, and every demon around them was cast into the Shadows.

Unfortunately for them, Malik's warning had not reached them. Yami fell to his hands and knees as his legs gave out, fighting back nausea as the world spun around him. He could hear Yugi, but couldn't understand what he was saying. He felt Yugi's hand grasp his shoulder and felt concern radiating through their mind-link. Yami gagged and coughed up a significant amount of blood. The concern coming through the link deepened.

There was a flash of purple and the two boys looked up, Yami with some difficulty. Every last demon Yami had spent his last strength to banish was back, looking fully refreshed and pissed off.

"Damn…it…," Yami choked through the blood welling in his throat and mouth. The ground rushed up to meet him and everything went black.

Yugi stood in front his unconscious dark and held his gun as steady as he could in his trembling hands. He glanced left and right to see that they were making a circle around them. _Damn,_ he thought, tightening his finger on the trigger as fear threatened to consume him. _Well, if I'm going down, then I'm going down fighting!_

Yugi pointed the gun at the closest demon and aimed right between its glowing eyes. He pulled the trigger. There was a click, but nothing else. No bang. No recoil. Nothing. Confused and afraid, he opened the gun and peered inside. His eyes widened in horror and icy terror gripped his heart.

He was surrounded, his protector was unconscious, and he was out of bullets.

* * *

Bakura was in his element. He relished in the thrill of the fight, the blood, the glint of moonlight on the steel in his hand, even the pain when one of them got in a scratch or a bite. He was bleeding heavily—his clothes were almost completely covered in blood, both his own and the black blood of the demons, and there was a deep gash high on his cheek with blood running down his face, but he was grinning. The dizziness caused by blood loss made the whole thing more thrilling in his opinion.

Ryo was doing wonderfully, not only beacuse he, at least, wasn't downright careless just for the thrill. He had never held a gun in his life, and yet his aim with a gun was as acute as Bakura's was with a knife. Every time the gun was fired, a demon died from a perfect shot.

Bakura had been quick to try out a theory after the first demon Ryo shot died when the crystal was destroyed. He plunged his knife under another crystal and quickly pried it off. The moment the black gem left their flesh, the owner dissolved into ash. Bakura was thrilled with his discovery. The crystal was their lifeline. Of course, he was much more content with just slashing wildly.

Then there was a clatter and a thud. "Bakura!" Ryo yelled both out loud and through the mind-link, his voice high with fear.

Bakura spun around to see Ryo on the ground in a fetal position with the gun laying a few feet away from him. No less than ten demons were on top of the smaller boy, biting and clawing at him.

Bakura's brown eyes flashed red with fury, the joy of the fight forgotten. The Ring glowed and an enormous ball of Shadow Magic incinerated each and every demon in a five foot radius.

Bakura rushed towards his light, staggering and almost falling as the magic took its toll. He fell heavily to his knees next to his hikari and helped him sit up. "Are you okay, Koibito!?" he cried, ignoring the dizziness.

Ryo was bleeding from numerous small wounds, but otherwise seemed shaken but unhurt. "I think I'm okay, 'Kura."

Bakura sighed with relief. "Thank the Gods," he whispered, pulling the younger boy into a tight embrace. He could feel Ryo shaking.

Ryo whimpered at the loss of contact as Bakura broke the hug. Ryo glanced around to see nothing but his yami. "It seems your attack destroyed or scared away the others," he observed.

"Mm," said Bakura, but he did not visibly relax or let his guard down. It would have been stupid to do so. Zorc wouldn't recruit cowards and any attack strong enough to take out _all_ of the ones surrounding them would have killed him, it would have taken so much energy. Instead he scanned the ground for Ryo's weapon, but didn't see it.

"Umm…Ryo? Where's your gun…?" he asked tensely.

Ryo looked around, too, confused. "I don't know…," he said, looking back at his yami. Then Ryo's eyes widened in fear as he looked past his darkness. "BAKURA!!" he cried, pushing him back roughly.

Bakura fell back in shock at the same instant he heard the gunshot. The next thing he registered was an explosion of agony as the hot lead pierced his flesh and his blood splattered on the ground.

* * *

Malik and Marik were fighting back to back, slashing in perfect harmony with each other. Marik's golden blade was stained black with demon blood, likewise for Malik's dagger.

A small army surrounded the two Egyptians, all of them trying to at least touch one of the two. None of them succeeded against the hissing blond whirlwind of destruction that was Malik and Marik. The blonds were faring the best of the rest of the team, baring only a few scratches each despite having the largest number of enemies.

Two demons sat on a nearby roof, watching the scene. The watched uncaringly as their fellow soldiers were slaughtered. They were, however, very intrigued watching the Egyptians kick ass.

"It's interesting," hissed one, "that the pair Zorc _didn't_ label Enemy Number One is the pair causing the most damage."

"Yes," agreed its companion. "They've killed upward of three hundred soldiers on their own; I've been counting. Shall we take them out before they become too much of a nuisance to Lord Zorc?"

"We shall," hissed the first. "The smaller one first."

(A/N Confident, aren't they? They see 300 plus of their companions get killed and they think they can take out these two psychos?)

The two swooped down towards Malik, freefalling before unfolding their thin but strong wings. They each grabbed one of Malik's shoulders in their hind claws and took off, straining slightly under the weight.

Malik, getting over his initial shock, started to scream profanities and writhe. "Let the fuck go of me, you bastards!!" he screamed. He thrust this dagger upward, plunging it deep into one of their throats.

The demon died instantly as Malik severed its jugular, dissolving into ash. Its companion dropped a few feet, now carrying all of Malik's weight.

"Malik…," Marik breathed in horror. He stopped fighting to watch what was happening helplessly—while he was sure he could kill the remaining demon, if he did his precious Malik would fall. The demons around him stopped fighting to watch what was happening, too.

The demon carrying Malik was tiring, its small body not used to carrying such a large load. It was quickly learning the meaning of "what would you do with it if you actually caught it?" as it really didn't have a plan. It was about thirty feet high when it saw the pink tinting the horizon.

"The sun is coming up!" it bellowed loudly enough for every nearby soldier to hear. "Time to go!" The demons below quickly scattered. The one in the air dropped its load so as to move faster and continued to fly.

"Marik!!" Malik yelled as he plummeted. He landed on the concrete with a sickening crack and lay still.

"MALIK!!" shouted Marik, dropping the Millennium Rod and rushing to his hikari's side. "Malik-kitty, speak to me!!"

Malik didn't move.  
~~~

A/N Bwahaha I screwed _everyone_ over to make it suspenseful. Hope you don't hate me too much for that. I deliberatly didn't say where Bakura was shot so you guys have to wait in suspense to see whether it's fatal or not.

Yugioh isn't mine, so stop asking.

Not a lot of humor in this chapter, I'm really better with humor. Malik running for his life and stopping to tell them not to send the demons to the Shadow Realm was supposed to be funny, like he was running because he tried it (which he did...well, Marik did.). Oh, and that bacon thing really works, talk about/draw bacon next time you have writers/artists block.

Yeah, sorry for the epic cliffhanger of doom, but I couldn't help myself


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Yugi raised the gun nervously above his head, as if hoping to use it to beat off the ever-tightening circle. He was dead. He and Yami were both dead.

He reached down and grasped Yami's limp hand. If he was going to die, he wanted to die holding his lover's hand. He couldn't fight back after all. He closed his eyes and waited for the first pain.

It never came. "The sun is coming up! Time to go!" a hissing voice called from somewhere a few blocks away. The demons glanced at the lightening sky to confirm this and quickly scattered.

Yugi was confused by this—they had been cornered with nowhere to run, why leave instead of hanging back a few minutes to finish the job?—but he was not about to complain.

With difficulty due to Yami's dead weight, Yugi hooked Yami's arm around his shoulders and lifted him up, half carrying and half dragging him. After being moved about a block, Yami groaned and stirred. His crimson eyes opened, dull with exhaustion. He blinked at his lover supporting him.

"Ai…bou," he groaned.

"Shh," said Yugi. "Use your energy to try to prevent me from having to drag you home."

Yami blinked blearily, willing himself not to pass out again as his vision grew fuzzy. He tried to stand to his feet so that Yugi wasn't baring his full weight but his legs would not support him. "Where are—?"

"Gone," said Yugi. "Dunno why, they left when the sun started rising. Maybe Zorc ordered them to be back by sunrise and they didn't want to disobey, we know how nasty he is when pissed."

"Mm," answered Yami, unable to answer much more. He was still dizzy with exhaustion and blood loss, many of his wounds still bleeding. There was blood in Yugi's hair and on his clothes, but while Yami wanted nothing more than to heal his aibou's wounds he knew doing so would push his limits to the breaking point and he would black out again or maybe even die.

Yugi hauled Yami towards home, determined to get him there if it killed him. Yami kept drifting in and out of consciousness. When he was conscious he tried to stand and lessen his light's burden, but every time he tried his knees would give way and Yugi would scold him and continue walking. Blood kept trickling out of Yami's mouth. He spoke to Yugi through their mind-link, which didn't help convince the short boy that he was strong enough to walk since he wasn't strong enough to talk. He blacked out again as the game shop appeared in his fuzzy vision.

* * *

"Malik-kitty, please…wake up!" Marik cried, more distressed than he had ever been in his life.

Malik's leg was bent at an angle that wasn't physically possible. This did not help relieve Marik's distress, not did the fact that it was broken so badly that it looked like Malik had a second knee. Marik brushed a few bloody strands out of his light's face. Malik stirred slightly at his yami's touch. He opened his eyes as he regained consciousness and his tanned face immediately turned whiter than Marik would have thought possible as pain crashed over him.

"Hikari-pretty, are…are you okay?" Marik asked, helping Malik slowly sit up.

Malik bit his lip to keep from crying out as pain shot up his leg, and he clutched the break. Malik was horrified to feel the sharp bone under his skin, but not protruding. "Yeah, I'm just bloody peachy," he groaned sarcastically.

"I'll heal that for you," said Marik, reaching to roll up the pant leg now sopping wet with blood.

"N-no," said Malik, grimacing. "Healing this will take too much energy. I don't want you passing out on me."

Marik hesitated, but unwillingly did as he was told. Instead he turned around and crouched. "Put your arms around my neck," he ordered.

Malik did so and Marik slowly stood up, reaching behind him to grasp Malik's thighs to carry him on his back. Malik's face, if possible, paled even further as gravity realigned his shin. He bit his lip until he drew blood but he couldn't stop a whimper from escaping between his teeth.

Marik walked very slowly and carefully, for which Malik was grateful. He would be a very happy person when Marik had rested enough to heal him. He rested his chin on Marik's shoulder and closed his eyes to the pain. Marik wished he could stroke Malik's hair reassuringly but his hands were busy preventing Malik from slipping off.

They made their way slowly back towards Yugi's house. There wasn't a demon in sight anywhere. They all seem to have vanished, not that the blonds cared. Although there was a neat trail of ash when the Egyptians found the path Bakura had taken. The sun was beginning to rise.

"Where do you suppose they all went?" asked Malik, trying to find a way to take his mind off the pain searing up his shin. "Back to Zorc?"

"No," said Marik immediately. "It takes too long to open a portal to Hell. They're around, but the fact that they haven't attacked us by now means they aren't going to."

Malik nodded and closed his eyes again as his pant leg shifted against his break. Marik stopped suddenly. "Hikari-pretty…look at that."

Malik followed his yami's gaze to see a pile of ash with black goo all over it in the sunlight. The shaft of sunlight from the rising sun moved to the next pile of ash and the crystal lying on top melted the moment the sun touched it.

"Well, what do you know?" said Malik. "Guess it doesn't matter that we didn't have time to destroy the crystals. The sun's doing it for us."

* * *

Ryo was yelling in horror and Bakura was yelling in agony. Hot blood cascaded down his back from the bullet hole in the back of his right shoulder. He was spazzing out and extremely grateful to Ryo for the same reason: His right shoulder had been where the base of his neck was seconds before. If Ryo had not pushed him, he would have died.

The last demon around them had grabbed the dropped gun while the two boys had been having a touchy moment and decided to see if it could figure out how to use it after watching the smaller one. It glanced up at the lightening sky and decided it was time to go.

It turned and spread it wings but Bakura, his eyes red with rage, threw his knife at it. His left-handed throw was sloppy, but while he was aiming at the throat—and would've hit it if he could still use his dominant arm—the blade went straight through the wing membrane and pinned it.

The sky was growing much lighter than the demon would've liked. It pulled desperately until it freed itself, unable to reach the blade by hand for its pinned wing was in the way. It tore its wing away from blade, tearing off half the membrane in the process.

The demon began a lopsided flight, unsteadily gaining height. The air burned its mangled wing and blood dripped down to the ground thick and fast. It cleared the tops of the damaged buildings and was caught in the rising sun. Its flesh started to burn. It wasn't going to make it!

There was a bang and the ashes of the demon rained to the ground, dead from a bullet to the brain through the underside of its horned jaw. The crystal fell faster, shattering when it hit the concrete below.

Ryo held the smoking gun pointed to where the demon had been seconds before. His narrowed brown eyes were tinted red with uncharacteristic fury and tears rolled down his cheeks to mix with the blood on his face. In his anger his hair spiked, nearly matching his yami's. "That was for shooting my 'Kura, you son of a bitch," he hissed.

Ryo pointed the gun at the ground and turned back to Bakura. Bakura was kneeling on the ground clutching his shoulder, his right arm limp. He stared at his hikari that was angry enough to be his twin open-mouthed. He bowed his head with his eyes closed and smirked. "Heh. I feel like I've tainted an angel."

"'Kura, are you okay?" Ryo asked tearfully.

"There's no hole on the front side, which means the bullet's still in there," he informed his light. "There is a motherfucking piece of lead in my shoulder and it hurts like all seven hells put together, but you know me. I'll bitch for a bit and then I'll be fine." He stood up slowly and stripped off his bloody trenchcoat, gritting his teeth. "Nng…dammit. I think the bullet is lodged in the bone. Urg…that could be slightly problematic."

Ryo started to cry harder at the news. "It's all my fault! If I had pushed you half a second earlier than you would've been clear!"

Bakura pulled Ryo into a one-armed hug and allowed the boy to sob onto his chest. "Don't even suggest that! If I were out of the line of fire than you would've been shot instead. You know damn well that I would never forgive myself if you got hurt when I could've protected you, and you know damn well that if you died I would take that gun and follow you! _Ahg_!!" He bit his tongue as pain seared through his shoulder, more intense than before, as if reminding him that it was there.

Bakura released his light and pulled his knife out of the ground, wiping the black blood off the blade on his jeans. He handed the blade to Ryo and started to take off his shirt, making small noises of pain every time he moved his right arm. "Yep. Heh. It's definitely in the bone."

Bakura turned to the wall and braced himself against it, pressing his hands to the wall. Ryo stared at Bakura, then at the knife in his hand, then back. "'Kura, wha…?"

"Carve it out," Bakura said simply and casually. He heard a clatter as Ryo dropped the switchblade in shock.

"What!? 'Kura, I—isn't there another way!? Couldn't Yami or Marik heal you with Shadow Magic?"

"They could heal the hole made by the bullet, but they wouldn't be able to get the bullet out, therefore the bone would not heal with the flesh. I would prefer not to spend the rest of my life with a broken shoulder with lead in it," he explained. "Besides, I don't trust either of them with my health. Please carve it out, Koibito."

Ryo picked up the knife and cautiously approached his yami, hoping against hope that Bakura would turn around and say, "Just kidding." He laid the cold steel against the flesh by the bullet hole. Bakura flinched and visibly tensed, immediately attempting to relax as he knew tension would make it harder for Ryo to reach the bullet. When he didn't feel the knife dig in or even press at all he asked, "Something wrong?"

Ryo sighed and said in a shaky voice, "I don't want to do this. 'Kura, don't make me do this!"

Bakura shrugged and winced at the movement. "Sorry. I don't want to make you do this. But if you don't do this, who will? The choices are: Yugi, who's even more squeamish than you; Pharaoh, who would love to get me like this with a knife in his hand; and Malik and Marik, known psychos who you give a knife to at society's own risk. Besides, I would prefer to have my lover do this. Please carve it out…for me?"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Ryo tightened his grip on the knife. "Ready?"

Bakura smirked. "Yep," he said in a cheerful voice, hoping the false happiness would make Ryo feel better about the task.

Bakura took good care of his knives, especially the switchblade in Ryo's hand, as it was his favorite. The blade was kept exceptionally sharp, and it cut through the skin and muscle like butter. Ryo started in surprise at how deep the blade went when all he did was press—his flinch made the knife wobble and it cut jaggedly. Bakura hissed at the uneven cut and bit his lip hard. His canines punctured the skin and his lip started to bleed.

"Sorry!" cried Ryo. "I didn't know it would cut so easily!"

Bakura's laugh was short and quiet, "Nah, it's okay. I would have to be as dense as the Pharaoh to think that this would be painless, or that you wouldn't spaz at least once—no offense."

"None taken," muttered Ryo, used to his yami's brute honesty.

"Oh, and try to cut _on_ the bullet hole. Cutting around it will take longer and I'm not sure how much more blood I can lose before I pass out," Bakura said brightly.

Ryo promptly flinched again and made the knife shake again. "Ahg!" cried Bakura, hanging his head and gritting his teeth. "Will you _please_ try to stop doing that!?"

"Sorry! And did you just tell me to stick a sharp object in an open wound?"

"Yes. Yes, I did," replied Bakura calmly. "You have a straight shot to the bullet, no pun intended, via the hole it made, so accept it because I won't let you carve around the bullet hole."

"F-fine…," stammered Ryo and he started to carve—very, very slowly—inside the wound.

Bakura waited patiently, gritting his teeth. After several seconds of the knife barely moving deeper at all he said in a perfectly level voice, "Hey, Ryo?"

"Yeah?"

"Your hand is shaking."

"How could you…?"

"I can feel the knife shaking and it isn't very pleasant."

"Oh! Sorry!"

"It's fine."

Ryo tightened his grip on the handle to try to still the shaking. Bakura let Ryo work at his agonizingly slow pace in silence for another several seconds. Then Bakura cried out as pain erupted next to the bullet and Ryo squeaked in surprise.

"I hit something hard! What was that!?"

"That would've been the bone, Ry. The bullet is about half an inch to the left so please remove the very sharp knife from where it is currently lodged, it's sawing my bone in half and is quite painful," hissed Bakura through clenched teeth in the same level voice.

Ryo squeaked an apology and removed the blade from his yami's bone. "Tell me when I hit it," he said, slowly brushing the tip along the bone inside the wound.

Pain exploded when he tapped the bullet. "Aug! That's it, it's right there!"

"I figured that out when the knife hit something protruding. Now what?"

"Now you stick the knife in the tiny space between bullet and bone and use the knife as a lever to pry it out. When it's out of the bone it should be close enough to the surface for you to reach in and pull it out."

Ryo froze, but his yami's calm tone was final. He dug the tip into the crevice and was about to start prying out the bullet when Bakura hissed and interrupted him.

"Hey, Ryo?" It was the first thing he has said the entire time that was high and pained instead of calm and level.

"Yeah, 'Kura?"

"That hurts really fucking bad. I may be a masochist, but I can bitch and whine if I want to. And at the moment I really, really want to."

Ryo sighed and started to lever the bullet out. Bakura, true to his word, wailed. "Ow, fuck, _oww_!! For the love of Ra, Ryo, could you work a little bit faster!?"

Ryo squeaked and tried to pry it out faster, but Bakura thought he was still working at an agonizingly slow pace. There was a small crack and Bakura felt the offending piece of lead leave his fractured bone. He grit his teeth and arched his back. He felt the knife leave his flesh and moaned in pain as he felt Ryo's trembling fingers enter the wound.

"Got it!" cried Ryo, triumphantly removing the blood-drenched bullet.

"Yay," said Bakura weakly, his hand immediately flying to his bleeding wound, clutching it tightly. "Thanks, koi." He kissed his light firmly on the lips in gratitude. He broke the kiss but kept their foreheads together.

"I just thought of something," whispered Ryo.

"That's more than Marik's ever done. What is it?"

"Couldn't you have just sent the bullet to the Shadow Realm?"

"Yes, I could have. But I feel like this was my punishment for the glass and I wasn't about to take the easy way out."

"How sweet. Are you okay?" Ryo asked suddenly.

"I'm kind of dizzy." Bakura swayed and started to fall. Ryo caught him and Bakura wrapped his injured arm around the smaller one's neck and leaned into him for support, clutching his wound with the other hand.

Blood flowed freely from between his fingers and covered nearly the entire right side of Bakura's back. There was no color in the yami's face and small wounds all over his body. The ends of his hair were caked with blood. Ryo bent down awkwardly, still supporting his half-conscious dark, and picked up Bakura's shirt and trenchcoat. He handed the shirt to Bakura and said in his best attempt at calm, "Press it against the bullet hole to try to stop the bleeding. It's bleeding the heaviest and I won't have you dying of blood loss on me."

Bakura smiled and did as he was told, balling up his shirt and pressing it against his wound. "Guess there's no more reckless fighting for me."

"Just don't get that beat up again," Ryo scolded softly. "We have to meet up with the others at the game shop."

Bakura sighed and closed his eyes. "You're warm," he told Ryo, leaning against him as the two started walking back.

A/N I had something to say here. Then I started going though the chapter on Word to find the italicised parts and I forgot. Oh, yea—wait, no. Hmmm...Yeah, it's gone. I don't know, I started watching a movie before I finished typing and it's like 3:36 AM so I'm not thinking very clearly at the moment. If I remember—which I probably will the second I shut down my computer—I'll put it up.

3:54 AM: Oh yeah! I remember! The time span thing. The beginning of each of the breaks starts at the same time. Like, lets say it starts at 6 AM, that means that all of them are starting at 6. Not like Yami/Yugi 6:00, Marik/Malik 6:15, Bakura/Ryo 6:30. No, they all start at the same time. I'm tempted to say "Meanwhile, thousands of miles away" for YGO the abridged movie. Because that's what it is, just a meanwhile thing.

Don't own Yugioh


	6. Chapter 6

A/N I guess I just couldn't stay away from comedy. It gets rather tiresome having to write serious battle chapters all the time, so I had to throw a chapter dedicated to humor in there to ease my craving to write down some of the shit that flows through my mind. The next chapter has a lot of humor in it, too. Before I begin, I must make two tiny little notes reguarding words I use in this chapter that some people might not know. "Coptic" was the language spoken in ancient Egypt. And "Tenshi" is Japanese for Angel.  
~~~

Chapter 6

The little bell jingled when Ryo opened the game shop door, Bakura leaning on his shoulder. They heard running footsteps and Yugi dashed into the shop area, sliding a little as he came to an abrupt stop. Relief spread over his face when he saw the two blood-stained whitenettes.

"You guys okay?" he asked anxiously, eyeing the dried blood coating Bakura's bare torso and blood-soaked shirt being held to his shoulder.

"I'm okay," said Ryo. "But I don't know about Bakura, he's lost a lot of blood."

"I'm _fine_, Koibito," insisted the half-conscious yami.

"If you're so fine then why are you leaning on me as if you can barely stand on your own? Which you can't!"

"Because I love my little koi and want to steal your body heat. I'm a thief. I steal things." Bakura nuzzled Ryo's neck to emphasize his excuse.

"Are the others back yet? How are they?" Ryo asked Yugi, ignoring his dark half.

"Yeah, they're back. Yami passed out and is sleeping on the couch. Malik broke his leg pretty badly and Marik has a few scratches but is otherwise fine."

"Dammit," said Bakura, smirking. "Marik is never gonna let me live it down that he was fine and I got the shit beat out of me."

Bakura pushed away from Ryo and tried to stand on his own, but paled even further and swayed. Ryo caught his hand. They entered the living room to see Yami asleep on the couch and Marik sitting on the opposite couch holding a very pale Malik on his lap, whose leg was stuck out at an odd angle.

"The hell took you so long?" asked Marik as Bakura flopped down on the couch next to him.

"I was shot, asshole. I think people who have bullets lodged in their now-fractured-and-broken shoulders are entitled to be a little late."

Marik and Malik started singing at the exact same time. "_Mmmm watcha sa-a-ay?_"

Bakura joined in and the three continued. "_Mmmm that you only meant well? Well, of course you di-id. Mmmm watcha sa-a-ay? Mmmm that it's all for the best? Of course it i-is. Mmmm watcha sa-a-ay?_"

Bakura broke off when he noticed Yami awake and staring at them. "What? That song always seems to play when someone gets shot!"

Yami rolled over so that his back was turned to them. "Try not to bleed on the couch."

"Watch it, Pharaoh. Pissing me off when I'm already in a shitty mood can be hazardous to your health."

"So is rolling around in radioactive waste, but that hasn't hurt me yet!" chimed in Marik.

"Yes, but your hair probably wouldn't have developed the power to eat small children if you didn't," retorted Bakura. He took his balled up shirt off his wound and grimaced at the now completely red shirt. His bullet hole was still bleeding profusely and the blood started to run down his back as soon as the pressure left. "Ra, it must have split a vein or something for it to still be going like this. Will someone please heal this or am I going to have to pass out waiting for my blood to clot?"

"The latter. You might actually shut up if you're unconscious," said Yami.

"I'll do it," said Ryo, removing the Ring from around his glaring yami's neck. "Don't all the hikaris get a little Shadow Magic from being connected to their yamis?"

"I think so." Bakura turned around and offered his bleeding shoulder to his light. "Just think about what you want to happen and the Ring will do the rest."

Ryo placed his hand over the wound as Bakura had done to him and concentrated hard on the thought of his yami without a gaping hole in his shoulder. Nothing happened for a few moments and then the Ring recognized that its power was being called upon and Bakura's flesh burned white-hot. Ryo's face, red with concentration, paled as the magic took its toll, creating an interesting pink.

Bakura waited patiently, biting his tongue as he suffered silently. The bleeding slowed as his torn artery knitted back together and the hole started to close, but Ryo didn't have enough Shadow Magic to entirely heal such a large wound and blood still oozed from the much smaller wound. Bakura loosened the grip his teeth had on his tongue, thinking Ryo was unable to do more. Then an extremely loud _crack_ rang through the room and Bakura screamed a long stream of swear words in Egyptian, his hand flying to his shoulder.

Yami, Marik, and Malik, who understood Coptic, snickered. Ryo quickly jerked his blood-covered hand back and cried, "I'm sorry! Did I make something worse!?"

Bakura clutched his shoulder so tightly it seemed unlikely he would ever let go. "_Oww_…that fucking _hurt_. No, you didn't damage anything, that was my bone snapping back together." He moved his right arm experimentally, moaning, "Oww…"

"That was a _very_ colorful oath, tomb robber," smirked Yami.

"Really creative, too!" Malik giggled over his laughing yami. "I don't think I've ever heard 'bitch-head' translated into Coptic." Marik laughed harder.

"Bakura Touzoku, what did you say?" asked Ryo sternly; he didn't approve of Bakura's constant swearing.

"Ohh, he used the title. You're in trouble now, tomb robber," said Yami.

Bakura nuzzled Ryo's neck, feigning innocence. "Trust me, tenshi, you don't wanna know. But I'm okay if you know that I'm loving language barriers right now."

"Me too, if you had said that in front of my aibou I would've filleted you," said Yami, wrapping an arm around Yugi, who had been watching in silence.

Ryo turned the puppy-dog eyes to Malik, but he wouldn't sell out his partner-in-crime. "It wasn't at or about you, so calm down, Ry."

Bakura gasped. "I knew it! Malik isn't human!"

"Excuse me?" asked Malik.

"You resisted the Eyes," said Bakura, awed. "That isn't humanly possible!"

"No, it's because I'm a hikari. We hikaris are immune to each other's puppy-dog eyes."

"Dang, I forgot that only works on yamis," said Ryo, turning the Eyes to Yami.

"Not a chance, Ry. There's no way in Hell I'm repeating that in front of my little Yugi, and I will dismember Marik if he does so he won't do it either. Right, Marik?"

Marik sighed. "Come here. I'd get up myself but Malik insists that I rest before I heal him and I don't want to hurt him by moving him." Ryo got up and went over to Marik, who leaned up and whispered in his ear. Ryo's eyes widened and he promptly fwapped Bakura on the back of the head.

"Ow! Geez, all this fuss for a simple little curse you couldn't even understand…"

"What did I tell you about using language like that?"

"That it's not nice."

"And?"

"It offends people."

"And?"

"You'd hide the most wonderful invention ever that is the coffee maker if I did it again?"

"Right! Will someone remind me to do that?"

"I will," said Yugi.

Bakura: 0, Ryo: 12036.

"I think I'm rested enough now," said Marik out of the blue. "Can I pleeease heal you now, Malik-kitty?"

"Oh, fine," said Malik. "You're just gonna bug me till I say yes anyway."

"That and it hurts like hell," said Bakura.

"That, too," agreed Malik.

Marik, looking significantly happier, rolled up Malik's pant leg. Malik gripped Marik's shirt tightly as the mangled and bloody flesh was disturbed by the movements. He bit his lip as the flesh sewed itself back together, but when a _crack_ much louder than Bakura's echoed through the room, Malik's oath was longer, louder, much more profane, and in Japanese so everyone could understand it.

"I hate you, Bakura," he whimpered as Marik cuddled him without fear of hurting him. "That was much worse than you made it out to be."

"Yes, but you're overlooking two major details," said Bakura, pulling his hikari into his lap. "I am a masochist—you're not. And mine was a fracture that turned into a clean break sometime on the walk home. Yours was a really effing bad break so it's only natural that you would make a bigger scene."

Malik's retort was cut off as the door to the game shop was slammed open, the door banging on the wall and the little bell ringing erratically. Yugi stood up to see who it was but the visitor stormed into the room.

A very irked-looking Seto, Jou not far behind, located his target, Yami, and grabbed him by the collar. "I don't care what your magic crap is doing, but call it off! Your damned Shadow buddies attacked us and their blood stained my briefcase and one of them bit my puppy!"

"You beat them off with your briefcase of death?" asked Bakura, impressed.

Yami and Seto ignored him. "Quit your eternal bitching, fancy pants. (A/N YGOTAS reference FTW) They're not ours. In case you didn't notice, everyone in this room is bloody. We've been fighting all night, too."

"Put him down, Seto," said Jou softly.

To everyone's surprise, Seto complied. But he did send Yami a glare that had made grown men cry before and growled, "If my puppy gets hurt, I'm going to beat your ass into next week. Now what the hell is going on?"

It didn't take long to tell the story. When they finished, Jou looked pale. Seto, on the other hand…

"And you guys think I'm going to lie down and believe this crap?" he scoffed. "I mean come on, they're just holograms."

Bakura felt the anger flow through the mind-link before Ryo started on Seto. "Alright, most-skeptical-person-on-the-planet, answer a few questions if you're so sure. Could a hologram have blood that would stain your briefcase of death? Could a hologram cut all of us up and bite Jou? Could a hologram cause all that destruction and kill all those people? Could a hologram pick up Malik and drop him thirty feet? Could a hologram pick up a dropped gun and shoot my 'Kura!?"

Seto had no retort. Bakura stroked Ryo's hair in a comforting manner.

_Shh, Koibito, your hair is starting to spike,_ he said through the mind-link.

_Why is he always such an insufferable ass, 'Kura?_

My, my, you little hypocrite. You punish me for swearing and yet you do it, too. I swear because I'm used to it—what's your excuse?

You're a bad influence on me. Answer the question.

I suppose that's just him. But do try not to piss him off too much. I like my job and don't want him to fire me.

You have a job? When did that happen?

Bakura never got a chance to answer because at that moment Yami asked him, "Want to play Duel Monsters or something to pass the time, tomb robber? Zorc shouldn't attack again until tonight."

"Not really," said Bakura. "My deck's at home and I'm not really in the mood to get my ass handed to me by _luck of the draw_."

"And I don't want to listen to him whining and moping about losing for the next week and a half," chimed in Ryo.

"Nice to know my little tenshi has so much faith in me," said Bakura sarcastically.

"Suit yourself, tomb robber," shrugged Yami. "What about you, Kaiba?"

"Yeah, Kaiba, duel the Pharaoh!" said Marik. "Watching him kick your ass never gets old, right, Bakura?"

"Hey, don't drag me into this. Seto's my buddy and I'm gonna be on his side. Least I can do, he pays my bills."

"It gives me something to pay for," said Seto, looking bored.

"I thought Ryo had a job," said Yugi.

Bakura wrapped an arm around Ryo possessively. "Now that we're together did you really expect me to let him keep his job and spend less time with me? Nah, I work now. Seto gave me the best job ever for a professional thief. Tell them what I do, Seto." _To answer your question,_ he added through the mind-link.

Seto was taking out his deck, accepting Yami's challenge. "He makes periodic checks of my home security," he said in a bored voice.

"Oh, you make it sound so _boring_," Bakura pouted. "What he means is that I break into his house and occasionally his office building at completely random intervals, meaning when I'm bored, and tell him exactly what's wrong with his security. Which reminds me, the camera in hallway 14E of your mansion is broken."

Seto nodded to show that he had heard. Yami lay down Gazelle (A/N is it just me or does he start like every duel with Gazelle?) and asked, "Since when are you and Kaiba friends?"

"Hey, hey, hey, we're buddies, not friends!" protested Bakura. "I know Anzu, and because of this I never use that disgusting word, it makes me feel dirty and not in the good way. And do the math, Captain Hair. He's sadistic, cunning, cold-hearted, and he hates you. Sound like anyone else you know?" He pointed at himself.

Yami grunted and lay down a card.

_What's dirty in the good way?_ asked Ryo through the link.

_Such an inappropriate question from one so innocent. Not that I care. Dirty in the good way is when I'm fucking you senseless._

BAKURA!

Hey, you wanted to know.

Yugi rested his head on Yami's shoulder to watch the duel. "By the way, did anyone find out anything that might be important? Other than the fact that they fled when the sun rose, I mean," said Yugi, grinning as Seto lost four hundred life points.

"We did!" cried Malik while Marik raised his hand. "The sunlight destroys the crystals. They melt into, like, this black paste as soon as the sun touches them."

"Well, that would explain why they left at sunrise," said Bakura, leaning back on the couch. "We found out that the crystal is their lifeline. If you destroy it or even remove it from their bodies they die instantly. I'll be happy to test what happens when they stay out past curfew come tomorrow morning, though." He grinned.

Seto took out his briefcase of death and slammed it on the table, scattering the cards. The briefcase was completely covered in black stains. "We found out that once their blood gets in something it _never comes out_!"

"Seriously!?" asked Bakura, horrified. He sat up so fast he nearly knocked Ryo off his lap. He had black demon blood all over his clothes and, his main concern, in his hair. "I'm gonna look like a fucking cow! I'm gonna use your shower, Pharaoh, gimme twenty minutes!" With that he gently moved Ryo off his lap and tore up the stairs.

Ryo facepalmed himself as he heard the shower turn on. "Sorry about that, he's a bit anal about his hair sometimes. Oh, and don't tell him I said that."

_Doesn't matter, I heard that anyway._

Bakura!? Oh, dang, I didn't know you could hear me.

You think before you speak, and when you think I know. Perhaps I should teach you to close a mind-link. But I won't. Not right now, anyway. And I don't mind your comment, you're right.

"I hope he has the decency to put his own bloody clothes back on. I don't want him borrowing mine," said Yami, uncaring that his mortal enemy was currently in his bathroom. "Although judging by the amount that's missing already, I think he already does."

"Well, duh," said Ryo. "One, he's a kleptomaniac. Two, he's the only other person in this group who can comfortably fit into your clothes. And three, he looks downright _sexy_ in skintight leather!"

Yami shrugged. He didn't like Bakura, but he and Marik had witnessed him mind crush someone and had initiated him into the Yami Circle of Doom. At least he and Bakura now tolerated each other to a point and didn't go at each other's throats everyday anymore. Just on Wednesdays.

"Oh, and I think I should warn you," added Ryo. "He's after your Kuriboh plush."

"What!?" cried Yami. "Why!?"

Ryo shrugged. "He wanted me to tell you because he said that you trying to hide it would make stealing it more challenging. He said it would piss you off if he got it out from under your nose. That and he wants it."

Yami sighed and leaned back. "Aren't you going to go and protect it?" asked Yugi.

"Nah," said Yami. "Knowing him he's just running the shower and stealing it right now."

"No, he's definitely trying to get the black out of his hair," said Ryo. "He takes, like, hour-long showers at home to keep his hair white."

Yami smirked and opened his mouth but Yugi grasped his forearm and said, "Don't even say it, you bloody hypocrite. You spend three hours in front of the mirror every day, so you're not one to talk."

Ryo felt Bakura smirk over the mind-link. _I heard that._

How could you hear that?

I've been listening over the mind-link ever since I got upstairs.

Bakura, that's eavesdropping! And I thought you could only hear me!

When people talk you think about their words as they register in your mind and thus get sent to me. I guess. I'm not quite sure how it works. And since when have I ever cared about others' privacy? Except yours, of course.

Touché.

Oh, tell Captain Hair to protect his Kuriboh plush if he can, I love getting past his pathetic little traps.

…He gave you the finger.

Bakura laughed through the mind-link.

_Tell him same to him._

* * *

Bakura, true to his word, only took twenty minutes to shower. He came back downstairs with his hair dripping wet but without the blood and, much to Yami's relief, in his own bloody clothes on.

"You are _so_ mean, Seto," pouted Bakura. "You said it would never come out and sent me into a panic for nothing. It came out really easily. But that might've been because I used Pharaoh's entire bottle of shampoo. Which I'm not replacing, by the way," he added as Yami opened his mouth furiously.

Seto shrugged, uncaring. "It's not my fault you're such a girl."

"I am not!" shouted Bakura indignantly. "You try keeping pure white hair white every freaking day and we'll see how you manage! It turns gray if I don't wash it!"

Seto shrugged again. Bakura sat down on the couch and pulled Ryo into his lap again. Ryo yawned and snuggled against Bakura's chest, not caring about the dried blood caked on his yami's shirt.

_Aww, is my little tenshi tired?_

Well, we were up all night fighting, weren't we? One can only be alert for so long. Yugi and Malik are dozing off, too.

Yami lay down a card. "I win again."

"Dammit," said Seto as Jou rested his head on his shoulder.

"Well," said Bakura, picking up Ryo bridal style, "I dunno about you guys but my little koi is sleepy and so am I. We're gonna be in your guest room, Pharaoh."

"Do I get a say in the matter?" asked Yami.

"No," said Bakura, carrying his light up the stairs.

"I think they've got the right idea," yawned Yugi. "We should go to bed, Yami."

Yami nodded and stood up, leading Yugi to the stairs.

"We'll stay here," declared Marik. "Malik-kitty can have the couch and I've always wanted to sleep on your carpet!"

"My puppy and I are going home," said Seto as Yami stared at the less-than-sane Egyptian. "I have to fix the camera Bakura said was out anyway."

"I think I left my lockpick in your back door!" called Bakura from upstairs. "If you find it, I want it back!"

Upstairs in the guest room Ryo giggled and snuggled up against his yami's warm chest, intent on sleeping peacefully in the strong embrace if only for a few hours.

A/N Yeah...Bakura has the best job _evah._ Oh, and that song Bakura and Marik and Malik were singing is a real song. It's called Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap. That one part of the song always seems to play when someone is shot and I've had it in my head for about 8 days.

I don't own Yugioh, or Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap. Although maybe if I did own the song it would _get out of my head!!_ "Mmmm, watcha saaAAaay..."

Yeah, I couldn't stay away from writing comedy so this chapter is mostly just some of the shit that was flowing through my brain at the time


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

When Bakura awoke several hours later the sky was rapidly growing orange. Ryo was still asleep with his arms wrapped around Bakura's chest.

"Ry," Bakura whispered, shaking Ryo's shoulder.

Ryo sighed in his sleep and tightened his hold around Bakura's ribcage.

"Ry, I need to breathe!" Bakura whispered louder.

"Hmm?" groaned Ryo, waking up and groggily looking into his yami's eyes.

"I can't breathe. Loosen your grip."

"Sorry, 'Kura," he mumbled, releasing his dark. "What time is it?"

"Early evening, by the look of it. We should go see if the others are up yet."

"Kay," said Ryo, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He looked at Bakura and burst out laughing.

"What?"

"You shouldn't sleep on wet hair, 'Kura," giggled Ryo.

Bakura groaned and facepalmed himself as he realized what Ryo was insinuating. Then he smirked as Ryo sent an image of him over the mind-link. He ran a hand through his unruly hair and said, "I like it messed up."

The two got out of bed and went downstairs. Malik was still half-asleep and dozing on the couch. Marik was out like a light on the floor. Yami and Yugi were awake and in the kitchen. Bakura immediately noticed that their coffee maker was running and his eyes lit up.

"Making coffee?" he asked eagerly.

"Yeah," said Yugi. "Want some?"

"Hell yeah!" said Bakura. "Coffee is liquid Ra."

Ryo accepted his cup and drank. Bakura, however, went over to the freezer and dropped a handful of ice into his mug.

"Why do you always do that, tomb robber?" asked Yami, slightly annoyed.

"Because," said Bakura, "if coffee is liquid Ra, than iced coffee is liquid…uh…something higher than Ra."

"Blasphemy," sang Yami. "You'll go to Hell if you say someone is higher than Ra."

"I'm going to Hell anyway, so what's new?" said Bakura. "And _you've_ mind crushed a decent number of people yourself, Pharaoh 'I can do no wrong' Atem, so you're no better!"

"Shut up!" shouted Yami, putting his cup down. "At least _I_ didn't defile the grave of _your_ father!"

"No, you just killed him!" shouted Bakura, louder, putting his coffee down as well. "And what grave? He was melted down and made into an effing piece of costume jewelry!"

"I didn't kill your stupid father! I was three when it happened, how could I have!?"

"No, but it was _your_ stupid father who ordered _my_ stupid father to be killed but the lucky bastard died before I could get my hands around his throat!"

"It wasn't even my father who did that, it was my uncle! And if I recall, you were pretty lenient with him at the showdown at Kul Elna's ruins!"

"I ripped out his eye and put it back after slamming him against a wall and making him fall down a long flight of stone steps!"

"I saw no dismembering or disemboweling! I think you're going soft, tomb robber!"

"This is gonna end in tears," Ryo whispered to Yugi, who nodded.

Bakura snarled. "I _know_ you did _not_ just say that, you pompous ass! Ryo, is it Wednesday yet!?"

"No," said Ryo. "It's Tuesday."

"Dammit to hell!" Bakura shouted. "Damn that rule of the Yami Circle of Doom! I want to go for your throat _now_!"

"Will you two shut up!?" called Malik from the living room. "You two are gonna wake the dead!"

"You're always so damn bloodthirsty, tomb robber!" screamed Yami. "You know what I think!? I think what happened at Kul Elna mentally fucked you!"

Bakura opened his mouth to shout back, but closed it again and looked thoughtful. "Actually…it was more like gang rape, I think…," he said after a pause. "But at least I didn't kill my own mother!"

"What!?" cried Yami, bewildered. "I didn't either! She died in childbirth!"

"Yes, but she wouldn't have died in childbirth if your hair hadn't impaled her internal organs."

"Why, you—! Well, I feel really sorry for your mother, she had to carry you in her body for nine months! I bet she was happy to die so that she didn't have to look at you in shame anymore!"

"It's moved to 'your mom' insults," Yugi whispered to Ryo, shocked at the childish turn the argument had taken.

"I was a good kid until your soldiers mentally gang raped my innocentness!"

"The word is 'innocence,' tomb robber! And like Hell you were! You lived in the village of thieves! You were never innocent!"

"That's discrimination, Oh-High-And-Mighty-Pharaoh! I would've expected more from a king! Tsk, tsk, judging someone for where they were born! Well, you were born in the palace and you were a selfish bastard who didn't care enough to look past his own village!"

"Why, you ignorant, lowly, commoner!"

"You wanna repeat that!? Come say that to my face, fuckhead!"

"Fine!" Yami walked up to Bakura until their faces were inches apart and said in a low voice, "You ignorant. Lowly. Commoner."

"You wanna go?" Bakura hissed.

"I thought you'd never ask!"

There was a very painful sounding thud and Yami and Bakura were both standing on one foot, yelling in pain and swearing. They had each tried to knee the other one in the groin at the same time and their shins had collided. Hard. Yugi and Ryo burst out laughing.

"Fail," Ryo giggled.

"_Epic_ fail," agreed Yugi.

Yami chose that moment to backhand Bakura, who leapt on top of Yami and, forgetting the sacred Wednesday rule, started to strangle him. Yami choked and kicked at Bakura's gut. Bakura had the wind knocked out of him as Yami's knee collided with his diaphragm but didn't loosen his grip. He was vaguely aware of Ryo tugging on his shoulders, screaming at him to stop, and Yugi pulling at his wrists and hands tightly wrapped around Yami's throat.

Together the horrified hikaris pried Bakura away from his gasping victim. Yugi helped Yami sit up and held tightly to his shirt. Yami, unable to jump on Bakura and beat him into next week because of Yugi holding his shirt, glared and rubbed his throat, where a bruise shaped like Bakura's hands was already beginning to form. Ryo held Bakura's wrists behind his back and pushed him out of the room, calling to Yugi over his shoulder, "In the future I don't think we should let them near each other when they first wake up!"

An identical conversation was going on between both mind-links:

_You are in so much trouble!_

But, koi! He started it!

You sound like a two-year-old!

That bastard provoked me!

I don't care what he did. And you did your fair share of provoking yourself.

The conversations started to differ as the hikaris thought up punishments for their yamis. Yami was still on the kitchen floor and Bakura was pushed onto the couch across from the amused-looking Malik and Marik.

Then the hikaris told them their punishment and Bakura cried out loud, "Koibito, that's not fair!" at the same time Yami yelled, "Aibou, you wouldn't!"

Marik snorted with laughter. "Sleep on the couch?" he asked.

"For a week!" cried Bakura. "Conniving hikari, knows exactly how to punish me," he mumbled angrily, but nuzzling Ryo's neck with pride at the cruelty he had corrupted Ryo to use all the same.

"You've obviously been spending way too much time with my aibou for him to think up a punishment that corrupted, tomb robber!" growled Yami, walking back into the room.

"Sorry, Pharaoh, but unlike you, Yugi is cool. And unfortunately for you, now that you've told me that me being buddies with Yugi bothers you I'm going to hang out with him more often."

"I hate you, tomb robber, I really do," said Yami in a low voice.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't," said Bakura casually. "It would mean that I hadn't done my job properly."

"I'm bored," announced Marik loudly. "I wanna kick some demon ass _now_. Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored."

"Marik, shut up!" said Malik and Yami in unison, but Marik continued to chant, "Bored," as it was something to do.

"Quick, get me a piece of paper and a pen," said Bakura, an idea forming in his mind.

Yugi passed him a notebook conveniently on the coffee table with a pen stuck in the binding. Bakura tore out a sheet and folded it into fourths, writing quickly on the front and back of the smaller note. Ryo, reading over his yami's shoulder, started to giggle but shook his head at the other's questioning looks. Bakura handed the folded paper to the still-chanting Marik. "Here, Marik. Amuse yourself."

Marik read the note out loud. "'How do you keep an idiot busy for hours? Flip this over.'" He flipped the paper over and read the other side. "'How do you keep an idiot busy for hours? Flip this over.'" He flipped the paper over again and again, now searching for the answer silently.

Malik and Yugi burst out laughing; Yami smirked; Ryo giggled; Bakura raised his arms in triumph with a smug smile on his face.

"Bakura gets twenty points for that," said Malik. Bakura's grin widened.

"Thank you, thank you," he smirked, mock bowing. Marik had yet to notice that anyone was laughing at his expense.

"We should probably wait outside," said Yami. "The sun has almost set and I don't feel like being caught off guard again like last night."

"That could be potentially helpful," agreed Ryo.

The six of them went outside to the front stoop, Malik steering Marik, who was still absorbed in the little piece of paper. Taking out their respective weapons, they spread out around the house silently to wait.

It was quite dark out when Yugi looked up and said, "Fuck!" very loudly.

"Aibou!" said Yami, shocked that the innocent boy would use such language.

"Look!" Yugi cried, pointing down the street.

Bakura, Ryo, Malik, and Marik rushed over to see what Yami was swearing about, Marik having finally dropped his paper. No less than two hundred demons were swarming towards the six, as they were the only victims within several blocks. Everyone else had died or fled last night.

Bakura grinned widely and licked the blade of his knife. Neither he nor Ryo had cleaned it that morning and he could taste his own blood on the steel. "Tonight we dine in Hell!" he cried, thrusting the knife high in the air, the blade catching the moonlight.

"You get brownie points for the 300 reference," said Marik, unsheathing the dagger in the Rod, "but don't say things that might very well be true."

"The words of a coward who's afraid of a little thing like death!" said Bakura gleefully, intent on slaughtering as many as he could.

Ryo gripped Bakura's upper arm. "No reckless fighting tonight. Promise me that."

"I promise," said Bakura sincerely. Ryo smiled and pulled back the hammer of his gun.

The yamis charged in, their respective hikaris close behind. The demons immediately leaped upon the six, scratching and biting when they could, but not a single person made it easy for them. Gunshots and the clang of steel on claws and teeth rang through the air.

Bakura laughed as he sliced through four of their throats with a single swipe. He was having the time his life. He was back to back with his light, who was firing at anything that got too close. The demons seemed stronger tonight than they had yesterday, but they were still no match for any of them, not even Yugi and Ryo. Their weakness sickened Bakura. This couldn't be right. Zorc wouldn't use something so weak, no matter how many there were.

Ryo suddenly squeaked in surprise and Bakura felt his light's upper body move away from his back as Ryo ducked. "Duck!" shrieked Ryo.

Bakura leaned far to the left as an orb of Shadow Magic flew by him, deeply grazing his cheek. Blood starting to run down his face, he turned around and shouted furiously, "Hey! Watch where you're aiming, Pha…raoh…. Aw, shit!"

Yami was at the other end of the block, fighting with his back turned to the whitenettes. Instead Bakura saw a demon hovering in the air with a dark purple orb growing between its clawed hands, aiming a second shot at Bakura's head. Bakura leaped and spun in the air, his knife just reaching it. The blade tore off the wing membrane and slashed its chest open. It plummeted with only one wing and, choking on its own blood, lay on the ground, bleeding to death.

"Be very careful!" Bakura yelled so that the rest of the party could here him. "They can use Shadow Magic!"

"Shit!" cried Marik and Malik from somewhere around the corner, out of sight.

"I figured they could, seeing as how their leader is lord of the Shadow Realm!" called Yami.

Now that the secret was out, the demons started using Shadow Magic more often. They had a new strategy: Divide and conquer. And it was working. First the three pairs were separated from each other. Then the hikaris, despite the yamis' best efforts to stay together, were slowly but surely pushed farther and farther away from the protection of their yamis. Unable to protect their lights for the moment, though not for lack of trying, the yamis opened their mind-links as wide as possible, so that they were acute to every move their hikari made and even felt their light's pain.

Bakura was beginning to panic. He was fighting a circle of enemies that were preventing him from trying to find Ryo. He had no idea where Ryo was and his limbs were shaking with pain that wasn't his flowing through the wide-open mind-link. The jabs of pain were becoming more numerous and Bakura desperately hoped Ryo would be able to hold on until Bakura could get to him.

A demon directly in front of Bakura fired five orbs of Shadow Magic in rapid succession, its companions following suit.

"Damn!" swore Bakura, rolling out of the way and hacking off the lower jaw of a close one. "Don't these things ever get tired!?" he screamed to no one in particular. This didn't make sense. By all laws, this much usage of Shadow Magic should at least result in _some_ fatigue. If any of the yamis did what the demons were doing they would be dizzy and unable to stand at _least_. But these things didn't seem to be feeling any exhaustion at all. This didn't help Bakura's rising panic.

Suddenly, Ryo cried out, his cry echoing over their link. Pain shot up Bakura's left arm. Pain that wasn't his own.

_Ryo!_ he cried over their link. _You okay!?_

Nng…yeah. A ball of Shadow Magic hit me dead in the upper arm. I think I'm okay—Ah!

Ryo cried out again and pain shot up Bakura's arm again, followed by a strange numbness. Worry and horror flowed though their link from Ryo's side and an awful silence fell. Bakura's concern was evident to Ryo through the mind-link.

_Damn it, Ryo! I feel like a worried mother! Answer me! What's wrong!?_ The panic was evident in Ryo's voice.

'Kura…I can't move it. It feels numb and it looks like it's bent funny and I can't freaking move it!

Bakura swore loudly and slashed particularly viciously at a nearby demon is frustration. _That means it's probably broken. Where are you?_

By the KaibaCorp building.

That's only a few blocks away from me. Hang on, Ry. I'm coming.

Please hurry. It's hard to fire a gun with just your right arm.

Bakura slashed himself a path and ran towards KaibaCorp, leaving confused demons that had managed to avoid the fatal wrath of his knife behind. He tore through the streets on autopilot, desperate to find and protect his light.

Halfway to the KaibaCorp building a horrible, bone-chilling, high-pitched shriek of pure agony rang through the night. Bakura froze, nearly tripping as he came to a sudden stop. The scream was cut off with a gurgling, choking noise. Bakura saw a large group of demons scatter away from whoever screamed, flying and scurrying up walls, leaving their prey for dead to search for another victim. Blood dripped from their claws as they went.

Bakura hurried around the corner and tripped over something, landing hard on his hands and knees in a large puddle of a dark, sticky liquid. With a jolt, Bakura realized that the warm liquid was an enormous puddle of blood. He looked up and gasped in horror at what he saw.  
~~~

A/N That argument is three pages long XD

Don't own YuGiOh, or the movie 300. But that's a good movie.

I can't think of anything to say except there is a character death in the beginning of the next chapter. Don't worry, it's no one important. They actually haven't even had an appearence at all in anything I've written or drawn, but I bash them all the time. Oh, and the How to keep an idiot busy...my friend Brandi made one identical to that. That kept me amused for the rest of third period and all of fourth period. I have ADD, what can I say?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It was Anzu, but Bakura could barely recognize the mutilated body as the girl. She was missing a part of each of her limbs. Her right arm was torn off about halfway up the upper arm and she was missing her left hand. Her left leg was ripped off at the knee and her right leg was completely gone. Her chest and stomach had been sliced open and her organs that weren't shredded were completely ripped out. And she was alive. Through bloody ribs, exposed as the flesh had been sheared away, Bakura could see that one of her lungs was shredded but the other was frantically working to keep its body alive. Her erratically beating heart was exposed through her ripped open chest. The thick pool of her blood covered the road. But she was alive.

Anzu looked up at Bakura pleadingly with her one remaining eye. "Kill…me…," she choked through the blood pooling in her throat.

Though he would never admit it to anyone in the future, Bakura hesitated. He wanted to oblige. Ra knew he had wanted to oblige to her current request since the day he had met her. But she was dismembered and disemboweled. Surely she didn't have much longer to live. A few minutes at most. Wouldn't it be much more amusing to just sit back and watch her die? (A/N and here you thought he was growing a conscience.)

_Yes, yes it would,_ Bakura thought to himself, pulling himself to his feet. He glanced behind him to see what he had tripped over and tasted bile when he saw it was her missing right leg. Growling in disgust at her blood coating his front, he leaned against the wall, watching in great interest as Anzu choked on her own blood.

"Please…!" she choked. "Kill me…friend…."

_Scratch that,_ thought Bakura, drawing his knife. _If she's gonna use her last moments to preach about friendship then I'm going to put this bitch out of her misery now._

Bakura pressed the knife against the small section of her neck that hadn't been torn open. Bakura wondered why she wasn't already dead from blood loss. Anzu smiled up at him and mouthed _Thank you, Bakura, my friend._

"I hate that fucking word," Bakura told her angrily. And he slit her throat.

Bakura stood over Anzu's corpse, staring in mild disgust at his knife. He'd have to clean it several times to make certain that all traces of her blood were no longer contaminating his precious switchblade. He'd probably have to burn the clothes he was wearing, too. He gazed down on the mangled body and spat, saying his few words with contempt.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that. You might be missed by someone, someday, maybe, but not by me." And he continued on his way without looking back.

Ryo, meanwhile, was cornered with his back against the wall of the KaibaCorp building. His left arm hung limply at his side. Pain seared down it every now and then at irregular intervals, but for the most part it was numb. Ryo found that he would prefer that it hurt; this numbness was torture since he couldn't judge what was wrong if he couldn't feel it.

"Bakura…where are you?" he whispered, holding the gun up with his shaking right hand.

A demon near him lunged. Ryo fired and missed by centimeters, his aim reduced by his inability to move his left arm. Instead Ryo brained it with his gun within his reach. He couldn't keep this up much longer. If Bakura didn't arrive soon he would surely be overtaken.

Ryo panted and shook his head. There was a scratch above his left eye and the blood wasn't helping his visibility. Where was Bakura!?

There was a ringing clang and a solid thud at the same time. A few demons at the back of the ring around Ryo dissolved into ash as they were fatally brained with solid objects. Ryo looked up to see Seto's tall figure and Jou's slightly shorter one, killing many with well-aimed blows to the head. Jou was armed with a crowbar, Seto his briefcase.

"Hey, Ryo!" Jou called. "You okay!? What's up with your arm!?"

"I don't know!" said Ryo. "Bakura is gonna be here soon!" _I hope…._

The words had only just left his mouth when there was a cry of, "Ryo!" and Bakura swung around the corner, slashing a path through the circle to get to his hikari. He stood in front of Ryo protectively. Ryo let out a squeak of concern.

"Are you okay!?" he cried, peering around to look at his yami's front.

"Huh?" Then Bakura remembered that he was covered in Anzu's blood. "Yeah, I'm fine, this isn't my blood."

Ryo wrapped his uninjured arm around Bakura's waist hesitantly, as though still afraid he would hurt a heavily bleeding wound, and hugged him close.

"I love you," he whispered into Bakura's back. "What the bloody hell took you so long?"

Bakura grinned. "Love you, too, and I'll tell you later, everyone should know anyway. It'll explain the blood, too."

Ryo nodded and asked, "Will you take a look at my arm while they're occupied with Seto and Jou?"

It took a second to click in Bakura's brain that not one demon was paying the slightest bit of attention to them now that Jou and Seto were more of a threat than their previous target, Ryo. Bakura spun around and looked Ryo over, gently feeling his upper arm. He frowned when felt Ryo's shoulder. "Where and how were you hit?" he asked out of nowhere.

"Like this." Ryo pressed high on his yami's upper arm, who let said arm go limp, and Bakura felt his shoulder be pushed back at an unhealthy angle. To Ryo's surprise, Bakura let out a sigh of relief.

"That would explain it," said Bakura, placing his hand gently over his light's. "As far as I can tell, it's not broken, just dislocated. It'll be faster and less painful if I fix it without Shadow Magic, but it'll still hurt. Okay?"

"Okay. Will you be able to do it with one hand?"

Bakura nodded, understanding. Ryo took his hand and Bakura squeezed it gently. He wrenched Ryo's shoulder hard and it popped back into place. The only sound Ryo made was a quiet whimper, but his grip on Bakura's hand tightened until Bakura was sure his fingers would break. "How's it feel?"

"It's not numb anymore," said Ryo bitterly, and Bakura laughed quietly.

"Get a room!" said Seto, coming out of nowhere and whacking Bakura on the head with his briefcase.

"Oww! What the hell!?" Bakura shouted, rubbing his head with one hand and giving Seto the finger with the other.

"If you two have to be all close can you at least do it when we're _not_ surrounded by Zorc's children!?"

Bakura and Ryo looked at each other with identical looks of disgust. "Umm…ew," said Ryo.

"Seto, Seto, Seto," said Bakura, shaking his head. "These are not Zorc's children for one simple reason: What woman would allow that big, horned, dragon head in them? Oh, Ra, insert Zorc is horny joke here."

"Will you just shut your face and help!?" yelled Jou, frantically swinging his crowbar.

Bakura grinned and made to lick his knife before remembering that Anzu's blood was on it. He licked his lips instead. "I don't know about you, tenshi, but to me it looks like they're ignoring us to go after Seto and his puppy. And you know how much I hate being ignored."

"Yami!"

Yugi ran through the streets, calling the former pharaoh out loud and through the mind-link.

_Aibou, please, don't call my name out loud! I can't hear you and you're alerting your location to the enemy!_

But Yami—!

Aibou, if you really believe that I want you to fight at all, let alone draw attention to yourself, than you obviously don't know me as well as I thought you did.

Yugi grumbled but accepted the pharaoh's words. He saw a small crowd of demons ahead and shrunk into the shadows of a building. Then he noticed that they were surrounding someone that he recognized instantly. Only one man on earth could wear a purple belly shirt and make it look that good.

"Malik!" he called.

"Hey, Yugi!" Malik called back, waving his bloody dagger in the air. "Where's Yami?"

"If I knew I wouldn't stick around to chat with you!" Yugi called, reaching the edge of the circle and starting to fire at the close-ranged targets. "What about Marik?"

"Dunno, on a roof somewhere," answered Malik. "He said you'd be surprised at how many are up there, just watching."

"So are Bakura and Ryo the only two still together?" asked Yugi, succeeding in getting to Malik and standing back to back with him. "I'd think Bakura would go into protective overdrive and keep hold of Ryo at all times."

"Funny story," said Malik casually. "Marik told me through the mind-link that he saw Bakura on the streets below, his front covered in fresh blood and running like hell was after him towards the KaibaCorp building, very much alone. He said hi, but Bakura didn't seem to hear."

"Blood? Is he okay?"

"He wasn't moving like he was injured."

"Bakura wouldn't run away from a fight unless Ryo was in danger so chances are that he was going to Ryo. We should try to reunite everyone as much as possible—strength in numbers. Will you tell Marik to meet us at the KaibaCorp building?"

"Sure." _Marik, I'm heading to KaibaCorp with Yugi to see if Bakura and Ryo are there. Meet me there._

Oh, but Hikari-pretty, I'm having so much fun.

Now, Marik.

Marik sighed. _Anything for you, Malik-kitty._

Yami was a bit more cooperative.

_Yami, we've decided to meet at the KaibaCorp building._

On my way.

Bakura, Ryo, Seto, and Jou were having a much easier time than they had been having a few hours ago. They had all killed many, Bakura's death toll significantly higher, and there were not many left around them. The sun was close to rising as well, so more of them were retreating every minute.

"Hey, Fluffy! The hell happened to you!?"

Bakura growled. "I'll tell you later! A little late to the party, aren't you, Marik? And don't call me that!"

Marik landed catlike next to Bakura after jumping from his rooftop. "Hell if you think I'll oblige or even remember."

"'Oblige' is such a sophisticated word. I didn't know you knew it."

"Fuck you."

"I did know you knew that word."

Ryo cut in. "That's two words, 'Kura."

"Dammit, you're right."

"Sharp-witted tomb robber, my ass."

"Oh, you know what, Seto—!"

But Bakura never got a chance to tell Seto what because Yami rounded the corner and swore.

"Damn! Yugi isn't here yet! I'm alone with five people who hate me!"

"Hey!" said Jou and Ryo simultaneously. Bakura facepalmed himself but didn't comment on the fact that Ryo, his boyfriend, didn't hate Yami, his mortal enemy.

"What in Ra's name happened to you, tomb robber?"

Bakura opened his mouth to answer Yami but was interrupted.

"We're here!" called Yugi, breathless, running up to them with Malik in tow. "What happened, Bakura!?"

Bakura groaned. "I'll tell you guys when we get back to the game shop."

Yami and Marik immediately ran to them, Yami to make sure Yugi was okay and Marik to fondle Malik.

The sun was beginning to rise and there was only one demon left in their company. It scurried past them to get away from the sun. Ryo raised his gun to shoot it but Bakura pushed the weapon away.

"No," he told Ryo with a wide grin on his face, without taking his eyes off the fleeing back. "Remember how I said I would test what happens when they stay out past curfew?"

He threw his knife at the retreating figure. Malik and Marik, unwilling to be left out, threw their knives as well. Malik's knife went through the arrowhead tail and Marik's impaled its hind leg. Bakura's aim was the best and he impaled the bone in its left wing. They sat down on the blood-drenched ground to watch until it was caught in the sun.

The demon started to writhe in terror, unable to get up for the three knives stuck in the ground below it, pinning it. "Lord Zorc!" it shrieked. "Help me!"

Bakura and Malik and Marik started to laugh at its fear. Until they heard the awful voice they knew so well answer back.

**I have no use for weaklings who cannot free themselves from flimsy bits of steel. Your death will benefit the survivors. Die.**

A weak shaft from the rising sun hit the demon's body. It let out an unearthly shriek as its flesh started to burn. Its body burst into flames. Bakura let out a cry of horror as his knife was engulfed in fire. Then there was nothing but ashes and melted crystal.

Bakura shamelessly rushed over and yanked his precious knife out of the ground. He was shocked to find that not only was it unscathed, but it wasn't hot to touch, and the metal felt cool. He turned back and the eight exchanged looks, worry in everyone's eyes.  
~~~

A/N OMG Anzu fans, please don't kill me. If you like her, fine, you're entitled to your opinion. But I hate her with a firey passion and took great pleasure and much sadistic enjoyment from killing her so brutally. Watching Repo! right before writing a character death can really enhance the gruesomeness ^.^

I do not own YuGiOh, but Ra knows I wish I did.

Chracter death. Very gruesome. Hence the censor. Perhaps I shouldn't watch Repo! The Genetic Opera before writing a death. Hope Anzu fans don't kill me.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"How is Zorc communicating with them?" asked Yugi once they got back to the game shop.

"Dunno, do we?" said Marik. He turned to Bakura, who was sitting with his arm around Ryo. "I'm more interested in the gory details as to why Bakura looks like he took a bloodbath."

Bakura sighed and leaned back, absentmindedly attempting to wipe dried blood off his hands on his pants. "We just found out that Zorc can communicate with his army, maybe all of them at once. Don't you guys think that's a bit more important?"

He looked around but it seemed that no one shared his opinion. Ryo, Yugi, and Jou were looking at him with concern; Ryo was clearly still worried that Bakura was lying to him and bleeding to death. Malik and Marik were practically bouncing in their seats, eager to hear the gory details. Yami and Seto were looking uncaring but they weren't protesting the change of topic.

Bakura growled and pressed his fist to his forehead. "We lost Anzu." He ignored the gasps and continued. "I'm not going to go into great detail to spare my innocent little Ryo, and to spare Yugi so the Pharaoh won't kill me." Marik and Malik groaned. "But it was really bad. I got all this blood on me just by finding her. She was dismembered and disemboweled."

There was silence for a full ten seconds. Then Marik and Malik started singing at the same time, "Ding-dong, the bitch is dead!" Yami and Jou were grinning and Ryo looked happier and then ashamed at being happy about a death. Seto's expression still hadn't changed from his uncaring look. Yugi alone didn't look happy about her death. He looked worried. Bakura was worried too and by the way Ryo was pawing at his arm Bakura could tell that his expression betrayed that he was worried.

"Will you three idiots _shut up_!?" Bakura shouted at Malik and Marik and Yami, who had joined in with the singing as well. "I hate that movie." He rubbed his temples. "This is serious. I'm happy the friendship bitch is out of our lives, too. Ra knows I'm thrilled to pieces by her death but this raises a very serious problem!"

"And what would that be, tomb robber?" asked Yami.

"None of you can tell me that you didn't notice that they seemed stronger last night. Not a single one of you, and if you insist otherwise you're full of shit," said Bakura. "Two nights ago they needed a dropped gun to do any real damage. And last night, no matter how weak she was, they were able to tear a girl apart so viciously that it made _me_ sick. No, really, I—stop laughing, you braindead blonds!—I'm serious; I threw up a little in my mouth. Of course, that was due to the fact that I tripped into a puddle of her blood over her missing leg. Oh, sorry, tenshi," he added as he saw Ryo pale.

"And this is a problem because…?" said Yami.

Bakura stood up and started to pace, which got everyone's attention as pacing was something Bakura never did. "Ra, if I weren't so freaked out I'd be rolling on the ground with laughter at having to explain this to the Know-It-All Pharaoh when it's _obvious in front of his face_! Ra, I'd expect this sort of obliviousness from Marik! _Think,_ you freak! If they were able to gain that much strength in less than twenty-four hours, then how strong are they going to be tonight!? Or the next night? In a few days they'll be too strong for the hikaris, and a few days after that they'll be too strong for the yamis if it keeps up at that pace! Don't you get it!? _They ripped her apart_! What if the next victim is Yugi, Pharaoh? Or Malik, or Jou, or—" He broke off, unable to bare the thought of Ryo torn limb from limb like that. He sat back down and pulled Ryo into his lap, wrapping his arms around the boy protectively.

"Bakura?" said Ryo nervously, nudging his yami's chest. He had never seen Bakura like this. "Bakura, I'm fine."

Bakura nodded and pretended to feel better by the reassurances. But his thoughts were still dark. _Yeah, you're fine now,_ he thought. _But how long will it stay that way?_

Seto abruptly stood up, reminding everyone that he was there. "Jou and I are going home," he announced.

"Aww, Seto," protested Jou. "Can't we stay?"

"I'm leaving and you know I'm not coming back here to pick you up when you're finished your little chat."

Jou pouted, but with a wave he followed the tall brunet out the door.

Yugi stared after them for awhile before raising his original question. "How is Zorc communicating with them?"

Yami shrugged. "I have no idea, and Bakura has already stated that that isn't his biggest concern. So unless Marik or one of you hikaris thinks of something intelligent, I don't think we'll figure it out anytime soon."

Marik abruptly pulled his hand out of Malik's pants and a look of stunned realization crossed his face. He whispered something inaudible.

"What?" asked Yami.

"The crystals," repeated Marik. "We said the day after we were all attacked individually that the crystals weren't organic, at least not entirely. They don't die with the body and melt into goop, not ash. At the time we said that Zorc must've put them there for some reason, but we didn't know why. And that night, they were destroying the buildings almost uniformly. I bet they're receiving orders through the crystals."

Stunned silence followed his words. Everyone was shocked that he could not only notice and remember this, but create a very probable theory from it. They were also shocked that Marik knew so many big words. Malik broke the silence. "Who are you and what have you done with my Marik?"

Marik plunged his hand down the front of Malik's pants, earning a low moan, and nobody doubted that this was, in fact, Marik and he had just had a smart moment.

Bakura lifted Ryo off his lap and stood up, turning to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" asked Yami.

"Out," answered Bakura without turning around.

"Wait, 'Kura!" said Ryo, standing up and making to follow. "I'll come with you."

"No!" said Bakura, much more harshly then he had intended. He felt Ryo back off and felt the hurt through the mind-link. He looked back. "Just…please, Ry, let me be alone for a bit. I'm just going for a walk to clear my head."

"Be careful," Ryo nodded reluctantly, but Bakura could see in his eyes that Ryo thought Bakura wasn't being entirely truthful. _Which I'm not,_ though Bakura. _Smart hikari._

Sure enough, Bakura had only gone a block before he felt Ryo searching for his location through the mind-link, intending to follow him. With great reluctance, Bakura closed the link, and he felt a flash of Ryo's surprise before he locked it tight. _Sorry, Ryo, but I can't have you walking in if what I'm trying to do works._

* * *

Several blocks later he found himself back in the alley he had been fighting in earlier that night. He saw exactly what he had been hoping to see. A single black crystal lay in a shady corner, still untouched by the early morning sun.

Bakura sat crosslegged in front of it on the blood-drenched concrete and picked it up, careful to keep it out of the sun. It was smooth and warm to touch. "Zorc?" he said, feeling rather silly that he was talking to a rock.

He waited for a full minute. Just when he decided that it wasn't going to say anything and was about to throw it away, that horrible voice emanated from the gem in Bakura's hand.

**That is "Lord Zorc" to you, Bakura Touzoku.**

"Go to Hell," snarled Bakura.

**I will not even point out the irony in that statement.**

Bakura growled. "Why are you attacking innocent people? It's me and the Pharaoh you want!"

**Who are you to presume to know what I desire? I want everyone dead eventually. Domino is merely my first target because you are there. I want you dead more than the others, Touzoku.**

Bakura felt the blood drain from his face. "But what about Yami?"

**Of course, I want Atem dead as well, but it was you who foiled my plans both times with your "helping."**

Bakura swallowed. "And what will happen to the others…if I die?"

**Once your soul has joined my ranks in Hell, I have told my forces to withdraw for one week as a…reward. That should give your pathetic friends time to get out of Japan. I'm sure you want to be assured that that white-haired angel of yours will be protected. I can assure his protection…but only for one week, and only if you leave this world.** Bakura could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Don't you dare touch Ryo, you fucko!!" he screamed. With a cry of rage, Bakura hurled the crystal. It melted in midair as soon as it touched the sunlight. Zorc's laughter rang in the air even after the crystal was gone.

Bakura leaned his back against the wall and buried his face in his knees. That hadn't gone like he had planned at all. He didn't know how long he sat there like that, unmoving. He wasn't aware of reopening the mind-link with Ryo. All he knew was that he was jerked out of his haze of thoughts by Ryo's voice, begging him through the link to come back and get some rest. Bakura did as he was asked, wandering back to the game shop on autopilot, lost in his own thoughts.

A/N This chapter marks the 100th page of this fic ^.^ I had something else I wanted to say here, but I forgot. Oh, yeah. Short chapter, but chapter 10 is gonna be like really freaking long (I think) and I didn't want to make it longer.

Don't own YuGiOh, never will, stop asking.

I was wearing my Zorc & Pals shirt when I wrote this. Yeah he went to see if he could talk to Zorc to protect Ryo, if that didn't come off very clearly. Yeah I had Jou and Seto leave early on because I couldn't think of any lines for them.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Aw, there's only 3 chapters left after this. I'm rapidly running out of plot.

* * *

Chapter 10

Bakura was already awake when Ryo woke up a few hours later, or perhaps he hadn't slept at all. He was staring into space and didn't respond when Ryo stirred in his arms.

"Evening, Bakura," he said sleepily. Bakura didn't respond and just continued to stare unseeing at a spot on the wall. "Bakura?" Ryo nudged him in the ribs.

"Hmm?" Bakura blinked and looked at his light. "Oh, morning, Ryo."

"It's not morning anymore, 'Kura. Were you up the whole time?"

"No, of course not," he lied. He hated lying to Ryo, but he had had years of practice and could lie with ease. He felt a pang of guilt as Ryo nodded, believing him. Ryo was the only one that could make him feel guilty.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing important," he lied again. This time he was slightly relieved to see a flicker of doubt in Ryo's eyes. Ryo sighed.

"You never could lie to me. You blush when you do, unless it's a really small, unimportant lie. What were you thinking about?"

Bakura felt his face grow hot. "Okay, yeah, it was something of some small importance. But I can't tell you about it."

Bakura felt a probe in his mind and hastily put up a wall. "Naughty tenshi. It's not nice to poke around in other's thoughts after they said it didn't concern you."

Ryo pouted and Bakura leaned in and captured the tempting lips. "Don't worry about it," he whispered when he pulled away.

Ryo still looked doubtful, but nodded. Bakura had a knack for strong mental walls, so Ryo knew he wasn't going to find out anytime soon.

Bakura yawned. He hadn't slept; he had been too wrapped up in what Zorc had said. _"I can assure his protection…but only for one week, and only if you leave this world."_

Bakura growled aloud. "Bakura?" said Ryo nervously. Bakura stroked the snow-white hair calmingly.

"Nothing, I was thinking." _Well, I do know one thing. I'm not putting myself out of the picture! Ryo will be heartbroken if I die. I'm much better at protecting him when I'm here than a fucking week of safety. Besides…Zorc isn't known for keeping promises._

"Bakura, you look mad," said Ryo.

"Sorry, koi," said Bakura, stroking Ryo's hair and forcing himself to stop thinking about Zorc's words. _Empty lies._

"Bakura, you're not usually spacey like this. And when you do zone out, it usually means you're plotting something that'll mean trouble that I'll have to clean up," said Ryo, clearly worried despite his trying to make light of the situation.

"It's fine, tenshi," insisted Bakura, getting out of bed. "I'm not plotting anything, the Pharaoh Bitch-Head will unfortunately live to hand my ass to me in a children's card game for a while to come."

Ryo smiled and climbed out on Bakura's side of the bed. He hugged Bakura from behind and whispered in his ear, "Good. I'm glad. Because you and I both know that if you finally killed Yami then you wouldn't have your rival to fight with over petty things anymore and you would get all bored and depressed and miserable and regret your actions immensely. And you're not quite as loveable when you're emo."

"Way to put it bluntly," said Bakura dryly. "The worst part of your little explanation is that you're abso-freaking-lutely right."

Ryo grinned and nuzzled Bakura's shoulder before taking his yami's hand and dragging him downstairs. Everyone else was already awake and waiting in the living room.

"Well, look who decided to join the living," said Yami, looking up.

"Good morning to you, too, fucko," growled Bakura.

"Touchy, touchy," Yami mock-scolded. "By the way, are you going to tell us why you stormed out on us this morning?"

"I wasn't planning to, no," Bakura snarled, sitting down next to Malik. "Seeing as it's _not your business_!"

"Damn, Bakura, he just asked a question," said Marik.

"I hope you realize that this attitude is just making us think that you _didn't_ just take an innocent walk this morning," said Yugi somewhat smugly.

"I…Gah!" Bakura turned away with a noise of annoyance and crossed his arms as though irritated, but it was really to hide the streak of deep pink across his cheeks and nose.

"It seems like just yesterday you could calmly talk your way out of anything with enough sincerity that you could fool my royal guards when they saw you do it," said Yami. "And today you're getting all flustered and blushing like an embarrassed schoolgirl."

"Like hell I am!" he yelled, turning to glare furiously at Yami and forgetting that he was still blushing deeply. Yami smirked. Bakura reddened further and flopped sideways, facedown on the couch.

"'Kura, you're taking up the rest of the couch," sighed Ryo, sitting on the arm of the couch next to his Yami's head. "Sit up."

"No," said Bakura, his voice muffled slightly by the pillow he had his face buried in.

"God, you are so-" Ryo rubbed his temples and turned to the others. "He's been weird since he woke up. He's been weird before, but I've never seen him this out of it."

Bakura raised his head to glare angrily at his hikari. His cheeks were still slightly pink. "I am _not_ 'out of it,'" he said in a low voice. He dramatically threw his head back down on the pillow, overshooting a bit. There was a thunk of skull on wood as the top of Bakura's head hit the arm of the couch and, more importantly, the wood block under the fabric. "Ow," he said into the pillow in an expressionless voice.

Ryo giggled and pulled the pillow out from under his yami. He took advantage of Bakura's sitting up slightly to slip onto the couch. (A/N what is this, see how many times you can say "couch" in six paragraphs?) He giggled at the pout on Bakura's face and wrapped his arm around his yami's neck. "It just isn't your day, is it?"

"No," pouted Bakura. "But it can become my day if you'll substitute for the pillow you oh-so-rudely stole from me."

Ryo blushed. "Okay, fine."

Bakura grinned and rested his head against Ryo's shoulder, finding that he quite liked this reversal of roles. Ryo mouthed, 'See what I mean?' to Yugi, but Bakura didn't see.

Yami rolled his eyes. "Can we get back on topic now that Bakura has stopped acting like he's four?"

"I do not have a snappy comeback that is ready enough for immediate use as of this time, so just shut up, Pharaoh. I'm too comfortable to bitch you out," said Bakura. He started to play with a lock of Ryo's hair.

"There was a topic?" asked Marik, snapping out of the daze he had put himself into.

"Yes, there was a topic, you retard," said Yami in an annoyed tone.

"Hey!" protested Marik and Malik in unison.

Yugi facepalmed himself. "Yami, could you _please_ stop pissing off the criminally insane?"

"Of course, aibou," said Yami absently. "Well, we were debating whether or not the crystals are how he's communicating with his army."

"It is," said Bakura in monotone. This, at least, he could share. "On my walk I saw one of them that wasn't melted because it was in the shade. I picked it up and listened to Zorc…brag." Ryo's eyes flickered with disbelief as he noticed the split-second hesitation. "When I was sick of hearing him fuel his ego I chucked it and it melted."

Malik glanced out at the orange sky and twirled his dagger between his fingers. "I'm bored of this conversation. I'm going outside."

"I'll go with you, Malik-kitty!" said Marik, following his light outside.

Yami and Yugi exchanged a glance before following the two insane blonds outside. Alone in the room, Ryo got up to follow them. Bakura pouted as Ryo stopped being his pillow and reluctantly got up to follow his hikari. Without warning, he caught Ryo's wrist and spun him around, pressing his lips against Ryo's. The kiss lasted for several seconds before Bakura pulled away.

"Was there a reason for that treat?" whispered Ryo.

"Do I need a reason?" asked Bakura.

He hugged Ryo tightly and left to follow the others outside.

* * *

"Motherfucker, what is this!" shouted Bakura, stabbing the same demon for the third time. "Why. Won't. They. Die!"

"They were easier to kill last night!" whined Marik.

"Real fucking observant, shithead!" Bakura yelled at the Egyptian.

"Where the hell are Yami and Yugi?" asked Malik.

"Who fucking cares?" asked Marik.

Ryo groaned. Why did he have to be paired with the swear-happy trio? He shot a demon who was trying to leap on Bakura from behind. Seems they still couldn't live through a bullet to the brain.

"Ow! Son of a bitch!" Marik cried, stabbing the demon who currently had its teeth fastened to his leg in the head. "Ra, _damn it_, that didn't hurt yesterday!"

"I told you!" said Bakura. "I _told_ you they were getting stronger!"

"Oh, can it, 'Kura!" said Malik.

"Oh, hey, there you guys are!" Yugi's cheerful voice called as he ran up.

Bakura groaned. "That means that Pharaoh Bastard-Face will be here in three…two…"

"Yugi, wait up!"

"One," groaned Bakura, turning his back on the Pharaoh. "Go away, Captain Hair, it was fun when you were somewhere else."

"Nice to see you, too," said Yami sarcastically. "They're, like, nowhere else in the city. They all seem to be here or heading here."

"Bloody peachy," said Bakura dryly, but unease churned in his stomach all the same. _Looks like they are after me._

Shock and worry flowed though the mind-link for half a second, but was gone as soon as it had come. Panic rose in Bakura's chest as he wondered if he had thought that so that Ryo had heard, but Ryo gave no sign that he has other than a quick, bright-eyed glance.

Still, he had to make sure. He didn't want Ryo worrying unnecessarily. "Ryo, I-_Ahg_!"

A large orb of Shadow Magic came out of nowhere and hit Bakura dead center in the left side. Two simultaneous cracks rang in the air. Bakura fell to his knees, clutching his side.

"'Kura!" Ryo was at his side in an instant. Yugi, being the heart-of-gold person that he is, quickly followed in concern for the thief king.

"You bastard!" Malik shrieked, swiftly slicing open the gut of the one who had shot the Shadow Magic. "You okay, 'Kura!"

"Nng…brilliant," Bakura groaned. "Bastard just got in a lucky shot. Oww, fuck."

"Bakura!" said Ryo, hugging Bakura's arm.

"Relax, Ry, I'll be fine," he said reassuringly. "It's just a few broken ribs; I've suffered worse. Now, if I can just get…up."

Bakura grunted and tried to stand. He sucked in his breath through his teeth as pain seared through his side and grabbed Ryo's shoulder for support. Ryo and Yugi helped him to his feet while Malik, Marik, and Yami beat the circle away from Bakura until he was up.

"Why, Pharaoh, I didn't know you cared," laughed Bakura weakly as Yami shot one preparing to attack him.

Yami poked him hard in the injured side. Ignoring Bakura's oaths, he said coldly, "I was protecting Yugi, not you."

"Of course you were," grumbled Bakura, clutching his ribs and trying to lessen the pain. "Better watch it, Pharaoh. I'm stronger than you. Just because I can't beat you in a card game doesn't mean I can't beat you if I were to deck you right now, even with two broken ribs!"

"Is now really the time to discuss this?" asked Ryo, pressing the gun against the underside of the jaw of a demon that had landed on his back and pulling the trigger.

"Ten bucks on 'Kura!" said Marik.

"Fifty bucks on 'Kura!" said Malik.

"A hundred bucks on Kaiba!" said Yugi.

"Aww, aibou, aren't you gonna side with me?" pouted Yami.

"No."

"But why, aibou? And why Kaiba?"

"Because everyone here knows that if you and Bakura got into a fist fight Kaiba would show up out of nowhere and hit you both over the head with his briefcase of death for being stupid."

Nobody had any retort to Yugi's logic, and everyone knew he was right. Conversation ceased for the night.

* * *

The night wore on and the demons' numbers dwindled. It became apparent to all six of them that with every one they killed the others seemed to get that much stronger. Marik drifted away from that group for a time. When he returned he confirmed what Yami had said-it appeared that every demon was homing in on them and there were hardly any anywhere else in the city. Bakura also noticed something slightly horrifying. All of the soldiers seemed to be following the same strategy: Go for Bakura and only attack the others if they get in your way.

As usual, when the sun rose those on the outskirts of the ring of attackers vanished and those in the group's sights scurried away. All in their group were relieved to see them go. Everyone was bleeding heavily from numerous deep scratches and bites. Bakura was bleeding the heaviest as his fighting skills were severely limited by his attempts to not move in a way that would damage his broken ribs further.

"Well, that's it for tonight, I suppose," said Malik, wiping his dagger clean on his pants.

"Pity, it's getting more fun every night," said Marik, examining a scratch on his hand with little interest.

Bakura sat against a wall and held his side. His ribs were really hurting him and the hours of swinging his knife around hadn't helped, but he was determined not to bitch incessantly about this injury. And he was never the kind of person to ask for help. _Ow, shit!_ he thought as sharp pain shot up his ribs, but unwilling to make a noise out loud. _Damn pride._

Ryo, who had been watching Bakura from a few feet away, noticed his yami's pale face grow paler still and his grip tighten on his ribcage. Ryo drifted over and kneeled in front of Bakura. "Need some help?" he asked teasingly, knowing that Bakura would never ask for it himself.

Bakura reached out with the hand that wasn't gripping his side and cupped Ryo's face. He used his thumb to wipe some blood off Ryo's cheek. "Not really," he answered. "But I'd like the closeness anyway."

Ryo smiled and helped pull Bakura to his feet. Bakura wrapped his arm around Ryo's shoulders and leaned on him for support he didn't really need. He kissed Ryo lightly on the cheek and whispered, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Ryo grinned. "You'd probably sit against that wall putting on a brave face until your bones heal."

"It was a rhetorical question."

"I wasn't aware it was a question."

"Must you always contradict me?" Bakura asked with an exasperated sigh.

"I love you," said Ryo sweetly and innocently, nuzzling Bakura's neck.

Bakura felt his annoyance melt. "I love you, too." _Ra, I'm such a pussy. I'm being owned by an eighteen-year-old._

"You're not a pussy," said Ryo.

Bakura's cheeks slowly turned pink as he realized he had spoken through the mind-link. At least now he had some color in his face. To hide his slight embarrassment he watched the others. Yami was spazzing over the sight of Yugi's blood and healing every tiny cut, ignoring Yugi's insistence that he was fine. Marik was fussing over Malik, who had been stabbed in the gut by ivory claws. Yamis looking out for hikaris. The way it should be.

Suddenly conscious of the fact that _Ryo_ was helping _him_, he turned to the smaller boy. "You know, I could heal that cut for y-"

"If you even think about healing me in the condition you're in I will kick your ribs and run."

"O-okay then," said Bakura.

The six had nothing left to say and no further business here. They started to wander back to the game shop. Yami and Yugi walked hind-in-hand at the front, Marik behind them carrying Malik bridal style. Ryo and Bakura hung at the back, Bakura leaning on Ryo even though he didn't need to. His ribs ached and the pain flared every step, but he did his best to ignore it. A particularly sharp pain seared up his side and Ryo glanced at him as he cringed.

"I'm fine," he said, squeezing Ryo's shoulder. "Ignore me."

Ryo looked away but continued to shoot quick glances at Bakura every few seconds. Bakura also noticed Marik and even Yami glance behind them at him. Bakura pretended not to notice their gazes.

Bakura once again started to think about what would happen if they kept this up, careful to shield those thought from Ryo. Tonight it was a few broken ribs, but what about tomorrow? He could always give in and die like Zorc told him to. It was pretty clear that he wasn't going to stop until Bakura was dead. But what was the point in that? Bakura didn't take orders from anyone, and Zorc would probably wouldn't even keep his promise, and attack while everyone was grieving. Bakura smirked at the thought of Yami grieving for him.

Then he heard a quiet whimper. Bakura's first thought was that it had come from Ryo, but after scanning him quickly he could see no pain on the younger boy's face. He hadn't even seemed to hear. He looked at his companions in front of him, but there was no fussing over anyone. Bakura seemed to have been the only one who had heard it, so he dismissed it.

Bakura heard another quiet moan. He glanced down at the street and saw a trail of fresh blood leading around the corner. Black blood. Demon blood.

Bakura pushed himself away from Ryo, a plan forming in his mind. He sank against a wall and clutched his ribcage. Ryo started slightly in surprise and followed his groaning yami. The others looked behind them and waited for Bakura to get back up. When he didn't they all moved closer, still remaining a good distance away.

"'Kura?" asked Ryo hesitantly.

"I-I'm okay, Ry. It'll pass." Bakura had years of practice at sounding convincing, and feigning pain was something he was especially adept at.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it'll pass if I wait a bit. Will you go ahead with the others? I'll catch up."

"What? Why?" asked Ryo. "I'll wait here with you."

Bakura had expected this response and had his answer ready. "I don't want you to see me like this. Damn pride. Besides, I don't know how long I'll be. The pain hasn't subsided and I-I think it may have gotten worse. I'll catch up, I promise. Just let me rest for a bit." He closed his eyes as if to block out the pain, but it was really to hide the guilt in his eyes that would betray the lie. Ryo was the only person he couldn't lie to.

Ryo knew Bakura's problem with his pride well, and knew he would be mad if Ryo didn't leave him alone. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "If you haven't caught up before we get to the game shop I'm coming back to get you and I'm waiting for you if I have to."

Bakura gave him a one-armed hug. "Understood." _But hopefully it won't take that long._

The second the group was out of sight, Bakura pushed himself away from the wall and sprinted around the corner, following the blood trail. He grinned at what he saw. Perfect.

A single demon has its back to him, in a small square of shade made by an overhang. It kept whimpering in pain and fear. Its head was moving back and forth, searching desperately for a way out of the rapidly disappearing protection from the sun. It had obviously been in a fight, with another demon by the look of the wounds and by the fact that it was still breathing. The membrane of both wings had been almost completely torn away, black blood dripping to the concrete.

Bakura silently removed his trenchcoat and crept up behind it just as quietly. In the duration of a second he had thrown his trenchcoat over the demon, scooped it up, held the opening closed and started to walk towards a pitch-dark back alley. This opportunity would not present itself again.

Getting over its initial shock, the demon started to writhe furiously. Bakura heard fabric ripping and gave his makeshift bag a violent shake.

"I've taken you out in the sun. If you rip your way out, you die!" Bakura said to it angrily. The thrashings ceased immediately.

Bakura dumped it out once he was at the back end of the alley and pinned it to the wall by the throat. He took out his knife and plunged it through the right side of its chest, away from the heart. He didn't want it to die. At least not yet.

"Let me tell you how this is going to work," Bakura said in a low voice to his wailing captive. "_I_ am going to ask questions and _you_ are going to answer them."

"And if I don't?" it hissed, red eyes glowing defiantly.

"Then I peel off your tissue inch by inch and skin off your muscle." (A/N Repo! fans will get that reference.)

"And if I don't care?"

"Let me rephrase. _You_ stayed out too late, _you_ didn't make it to wherever your safe haven from the light is, and _you_ are going to die, one way or another. You can answer my questions and I kill you quickly. A quick slash and it's over. Or you can not talk, and I will torture you. You die slowly and painfully and when you're barely conscious I walk away and leave you for the sun."

"I won't die. I can stay here all day," said the demon, but with a hint of uncertainty coloring its voice.

"No, you can't," said Bakura with a mirthless laugh. "I know this city, and I know this alley. Marik and I blew up a dumpster here once. In a few hours the sun will hit it so that the alley is bathed in light. You can't escape the sun here. Now my first question is: How many of you are left?"

The demon remained silent. True to his word, Bakura grabbed his knife and twisted it. The demon shrieked and stammered, "A-about four hundred!"

"That's better," smirked Bakura. "Now, why do you seem to get stronger with every one we kill?"

"I-it's the crystals," whimpered the demon. "W-we all just have a fragment of an enormous one. It was part of Lord Zorc's plan. Every time you kill one of us, our crystal gets returned to the large one. The more complete it is, the more power we have. A-and when you kill the last one of us, and the crystal is complete, Lord Zorc himself will be able to come to this world. His plan was that you'd kill us all and think it's over. That's all we are, your bait for his trap. He never expected us to succeed."

Bakura swore loudly. "And can this crystal be destroyed?"

The demon was silent for a moment. "Yes," it finally hissed. "But it will be almost impossible. It is just as fragile as our fragments, but it's in the seventh level of Hell, guarded by Lord Zorc himself."

"Wonderful," sighed Bakura, pinching the bridge of his nose. "One last question. If the crystal in Hell was destroyed, what would happen to all of you?"

It shrugged. "We would all die and Lord Zorc would have to start his army over or get a new plan."

It had answered his questions and Bakura kept his promise, killing it quickly. He jerked his knife out of its chest and it fell to the ground. He kicked it in the chest, shattering the crystal, and it died. Bakura put his trenchcoat back on and followed the path the rest of the group had taken.

He rounded a corner and saw Ryo walking towards him, coming back to get him like he'd said. Ryo jogged up to him and hugged him tightly. Bakura's ribs screamed in protest, but Bakura only grimaced and ignored them, hugging Ryo back.

Sharp pain seared up his side as his broken ribs continued to protest. "Trying to break a third rib?" he asked Ryo with a laugh.

Ryo immediately tried to pull away, but Bakura continued to hold him close.

"So you're okay now?" asked Ryo.

"Of course, I'm fine now. Everything's okay." Bakura buried his face in Ryo's hair to hide his blush. Ryo was right; he was the only one Bakura couldn't lie to with a straight face and perfect sincerity. Bakura wondered how many more lies he would have to tell his love before this was over.

* * *

A/N Whew, long one. This is the longest thing I've ever written, it took me two days to type up.

I don't own Yugioh. Bite me.

Long chapter, 17 pages just for that scene at the end. Bakura interogating the the demon was the whole point of this chapter. That and breaking his ribs. I've wanted to do that the whole fic but haven't had an opportunity to.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Ow! Ra dammit, Ryo!"

Ryo sighed. "Shut up, you know it'll heal faster if it's tight."

"I know, but _shit_!" complained Bakura.

The yamis had all healed their hikaris and now the roles were reversed. Sharing the first aid kit between them, the hikaris were cleaning and bandaging the worst of their darks' wounds. Bakura was sitting on the kitchen counter while Ryo wrapped bandages around his broken ribs.

"If you can bitch and complain like that than you must be fine," said Yami as Yugi cleaned a cut on his chest.

"Asshole, you shut the fuck up," snarled Bakura through clenched teeth. Ryo pulled the bandages painfully tight and with a hiss of pain Bakura shut up.

"Aww, c'mon, Yami. Let him bitch," said Malik. "He's funny when he bitches."

Bakura shot a glare at them. Malik had long since given up trying to care for his persistent dark and was now sitting on Marik's lap as Marik caressed him.

Ryo gave the bandages one more painful tug and Bakura cringed. "There, that should do it."

"If you didn't break more trying at heal the two," snapped Bakura angrily. He didn't notice Ryo back away a bit, his eyes flashing with hurt and concern.

Yugi rolled his eyes and glared at Bakura. "Oh, shut _up_, tomb robber."

"Pharaoh, stop teaching your hikari to talk like you! You're the only one who calls me 'tomb robber' and I'd like it to stay that way."

"Tomb robber," said Marik.

"Gah, you spiteful bastard!" growled Bakura.

"Couldn't help myself, Fluffy," replied Marik with a grin.

Bakura facepalmed himself. "You are _so_ lucky I'm injured, otherwise I'd maim your ass so bad."

"What's the matter, Fluffy? It's not good to get so angry," said Malik.

Bakura growled and turned to Ryo. "_Please_, koibito, let me annihilate the psycho's brat."

"No," said Ryo flatly.

Bakura grumbled and pushed himself off the counter. "That's enough, I'm done," he said coldly.

"But, 'Kura," started Ryo hesitantly, "you still have a ton of cuts for me to look at!"

"Let them bleed," he snarled, glaring over his shoulder. He turned at stalked out of the room, gingerly holding his ribcage as he walked. "I'm going to bed."

Ryo stared after his yami before sitting down and burying his face in his knees.

"Well, that was dramatic," said Yami after an awkward silence.

"I wish I knew what was up with him!" Ryo yelled into his knees. His voice shook. "He's beginning to scare me. He's hiding something, I know it! He's always so calm and content around me and now he's snapping at me every other minute and switching between happy and angry and depressed faster than if he were PMSing!"

Yugi stood and sat next to his fellow hikari, wrapping an arm around the whitenette's trembling shoulders. Ryo turned and buried his face in Yugi's shoulder.

"He might be drunk," suggested Marik. "When he's drunk he jumps between the I Hate You Guy and the I Love You Guy faster than I can keep track. And sometimes he's the M'ere Guy."

Yami rolled his eyes. "He's not drunk, idiot."

"He's scaring me," Ryo repeated in a whisper.

"So tell him that," said Malik. "It's not like he's never scared you before, he scared you for two years before he got his own body."

"Malik," said Ryo. He turned towards the blond. There were tears in his eyes, but he held them back. "This time it's different. He has scared me before when he was in the Ring, but those times it was fear my own safety or the safety of one of you. It's not like that this time. I'm scared because I don't know what to do. I'm sacred because I don't know what _he'll_ do."

* * *

Bakura silently got out of bed. It was late afternoon and he was certain that was the only one awake. Ryo protested in his sleep at the loss of warmth and snuggled towards where his dark had just been. Bakura shoved his warm pillow in Ryo's path and Ryo clung to it, frowning slightly as he wondered in his sleep why it didn't feel like Bakura's well-muscled chest.

Bakura reached down and lightly brushed his fingers over a certain spot on Ryo's neck. He knew from experience that it was one of Ryo's sweet spots, and Ryo shivered at his touch but didn't wake. He kept his fingers poised on the spot for a few seconds before deciding to do it later. Ryo protested in his sleep as Bakura's cool fingertips were removed from his warm skin.

Bakura silently stalked into the room that Yugi and the Pharaoh shared. Them he could do it to. He jabbed Yami in the neck at an angle, in the same place he had touched Ryo. Yami groaned as Bakura repeated the motion on Yugi. They wouldn't be moving until the effects wore off. Bakura stalked downstairs, deliberately passing by the room Ryo was sleeping in. Malik and Marik were both on the couch, embracing. Bakura repeated the nerve pinch on both of their sleeping forms.

Finding himself unable to do this to Ryo, he began the next part of his plan. Now that he was sure that he wouldn't be interrupted, he started ensuring their protection. Stepping outside, he started work on a barrier of Shadow Magic around the entire house. Anything that touched it from the outside would instantly be repelled, and it was too strong for anyone other than him to break it from the inside.

Left dizzy and weak-kneed from the extensive use of Shadow Magic, he propped himself up with the dark purple wall he had just made. Panting slightly, he whispered under his breath in Coptic, praying to Ra to keep Ryo safe in his absence.

"Going somewhere?" asked a cold voice behind Bakura.

Bakura froze and turned around slowly. He hadn't thought that his sweet light's voice could sound so angry. But it was Ryo who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He was visibly trying not to cry from hurt and anger, and his body was very tense.

"Ryo? What are you doing? Go back to bed."

"Only if you come with me," snarled Ryo in that same cold voice. "What are you up to?" Bakura was silent a moment too long. "_Answer me, Yami Bakura_!!"

"N-nothing, baby." Bakura had hesitated. A mistake. Ryo's eyes filled with angry tears and he slowly sank to his knees, rage and pure hurt flashing in his eyes and flowing through the mind-link.

"Why don't you trust me!?" he cried. "Why can't you tell me what's bothering you!? Why don't…why don't you…why?"

Bakura rushed over and crouched in front of Ryo, hugging him tight. "Ryo, baby, calm down."

Ryo buried his face in Bakura's shoulder, now crying in earnest, beating Bakura's other shoulder as hard as he could. "You asshole! You prick! You royal jerkoff! I hate you!"

Bakura knew that deep down Ryo didn't mean his last statement, but it still stung. It stung worse than any physical pain he had endured through this entire ordeal. Had he really upset Ryo that much? "Shh, shh-shh-shh-shh," he shushed, rubbing Ryo's back. "I'm sorry, I know I suck."

"Is it so hard to tell me what's worrying you? I thought we were a team," Ryo whispered, the fire leaving his eyes as his rage died away, leaving only dull sadness behind. "I have no idea what you might be planning. I'm scared to death…because I just don't know."

"Me too, tenshi. Me too," Bakura whispered. He felt a very unfamiliar prickle in his eyes; he didn't understand what it was. "I've been terrified this whole time that something will happen to you. And now I'm terrified because I don't know what _you'll_ do if…if something happens."

Ryo didn't reply but continued to cry quietly into Bakura's shoulder. _Poor kid_, he thought. _He's cried so much in so little time. All because of Zorc._

"Ryo, I want you to listen to me," said Bakura, a slight waver in his voice. "I…may not be around for awhile. Wait for me. No matter what happens, no matter what you think, no matter what things seem, I want you to wait for me. Just for a week…then you don't have to wait anymore if you don't want to. Just give me a week."

Ryo tilted his head and looked Bakura in the eyes. His own eyes were red and tears still flowed down his cheeks. He said in a dead serious and perfectly level voice, "I would wait for you forever if I had to."

Bakura felt the strange prickle in his eyes grow stronger and he tightened his and Ryo's embrace. "Thank you, koibito," he whispered into the soft, white hair.

"What if you don't come back?" asked Ryo. "I…I don't want to be alone again. Don't leave me." Ryo tightened the hug instinctively, seeking comfort, and Bakura's ribs seared painfully. Bakura smirked; he had almost forgotten they were broken.

Effectively ignoring the pain, Bakura said sternly, "I will _never_ leave you. I'll always be here to protect you. If I have to I'll come back as a ghost to be with you. But hopefully it won't come to that."

He kissed Ryo on the forehead and stood up. He placed a hand on the wall of Shadow Magic and created an opening just big enough for him to walk through. As it started to close, Bakura looked behind him. Ryo was still kneeling on the ground, looking ready to die of sadness right there. Bakura was no longer able to ignore the prickle in his eyes, and Ryo's tear-filled eyes widened in shock as Bakura tried to blink the burning away. "Bakura…"

"I love you, Ryo. Wait for me. Goodbye." The barrier closed up and Ryo was gone.

Thunder boomed overhead and it started to pour, the icy rain drenching Bakura in seconds. Bakura wondered if the heavens were reflecting his mood. His eyes still burned for a reason he did not know.

The burning abruptly lessened and amid the cold water on his cheeks he felt something warm trail down it. Bakura hesitantly touched his cheek and tasted his fingertip. It tasted salty and Bakura realized that it was a tear. The first tear he had shed in over three thousand years.

* * *

Ryo screamed in frustration as he tried again to break the barrier. But his own limited Shadow Magic wasn't strong enough and the wall wavered but did not break. Ryo sank to his knees with his hands still pressed against his target and rested his forehead against the dark purple mass. He felt empty but didn't cry. He had just stopped and didn't want to start crying again.

Ryo still hadn't gotten over his surprise though. Now he knew that Bakura was really torn up. When the yami who felt almost no emotion except anger had looked back, his eyes had been filled with unshed tears.

Ryo screamed again and beat his fist against the barrier. "Ryo?" came Malik's sleepy voice from inside the house. It was almost immediately followed by a loud, scared, "What the fuck!?"

Ryo rushed back inside to see Malik awake and visibly fighting panic. "Ryo! What the hell? Why've you been crying? This is fucked up! I can't move, Ryo!"

Ryo understood what Bakura had done. He had used that same pressure point on Ryo in Duelist Kingdom to keep him in his soul room. He had then proceeded to teach him that nerve pinch as well as a few others during Battle City. He jabbed the nerve and Malik went limp.

"Thanks, Ry," gasped Malik, rubbing his neck. "What _was_ that?"

"A pressure point Bakura likes to use," said Ryo dully, wiping his wet cheeks. His heart ached as he said his yami's name. "It cuts off the brain waves to everything below the point, immobilizing everything from the neck down. It freezes you. It'll wear off on its own, but not for a long time. When Bakura used it on me in my soul room I was frozen for a few days."

"So it's that bastard Bakura's work. Wait'll I get my hands on him," growled Malik. "Where is he?"

The surprised Malik wrapped his arm around the whitenette as Ryo broke down again.

* * *

Bakura walked briskly with his head held high. His eyes showed his grim determination to what he was about to do. He knew it would happen tonight. He didn't even need to look. _They_ would find _him_.

His heart was full of fear and grief, but neither were for himself. He had already died twice, why should he fear Death's touch anymore? He was afraid of what Ryo would do if he were left alone. His grief was for and shared with Ryo. He could sense Ryo crying again through the link. He felt a pang, each stronger than the last, each time Ryo sobbed.

Bakura turned a corner and looked at the building next to him. He continued looking for a long while. It was the house he and Ryo had shared before all this. The roof and part of the wall had been beaten in, the pouring rain drenching the inside. Repairable, but disheartening nonetheless. He shivered, both from the chill caused by his sopping wet clothes and the thought of what the inside looked like.

With a sigh, Bakura turned back to face forward and froze. What looked like every one of the remaining four hundred demons crouched at the end of the street, waiting, wings plastered to their wet bodies and red eyes glowing in the dark and stormy night. They didn't move, and neither did their target.

Bakura smirked and shook his dripping bangs out of his eyes. He gripped the Millennium Ring, which glowed and Shadow Magic wavered around it until he let go.

"Forgive me, Ryo," he whispered. He reached inside his trenchcoat and drew his knife. Raising his voice to a shout, he screamed at the army, "Alright, you sons of bitches!" He held the knife out to the side at arm's length…and dropped it. It landed with a clatter on the road, the red and black blood on it quickly coloring a puddle under the blade. He spread his arms wide. "Come and get me!"  
~~~

A/N This chapter is dedicated to Bakura because today, November 10th, I celebrate his birthday as one of my sources tell me that this is when Ryo got the Ring. Bit of a depressing birthday present to be honest, since most of you will be able to put two and two together and figure out what I'm gonna do. Also, that part where Marik said maybe he's drunk and named the three Guys is a reference to Gabriel Iglesias's show Hot and Fluffy.

This is my favorite chapter of the fic :D

I don't own YuGiOh, and if I did there would be more moments like this where Ryo has a backbone and Bakura isn't a selfish bastard.

Bit sad. this is the first scene of this fic I thought up, and I'm so glad it's finally written down.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Teeth. Claws. Blood. Pain!

Bakura was only conscious of one thing, and that was the demons tearing at his body. His wounds had half-healed from all the Shadow Magic used to create the barrier, and Bakura felt his still-fragile ribs snap again. He was glad he had closed the link on the way. He didn't want Ryo to see this.

Bakura smirked as he felt his consciousness ebbing away as his life's essence stained the ground. Then, nothing but black.

* * *

Ryo's bowed head shot up and he shouted Bakura's name. Yami turned from the barrier and asked, "What is it, Ryo?"

When Ryo had calmed down he has freed and woken the others, who had immediately started to try to break down the barrier to go after the head-strong yami. But Bakura had done his job well, and not even their combined efforts could make a hole that didn't close up immediately.

Ryo froze in shock for half a second before redoubling his efforts on the barrier, feverishly muttering Bakura's name over and over again under his breath.

"Ryo?" Yami repeated. "What happened?"

"The mind-link has been severed," said Ryo without pausing in his work.

"He probably just locked it so that you wouldn't see what he was doing," said Yugi calmly.

"No, not closed, gone," said Ryo frantically. "I can't feel his presence at all! Bakura said that a mind-link will always stay intact, no matter what. He said that the only thing that would get rid of a mind-link was…" Ryo gulped and fell silent, unable to speak through the lump in his throat.

"Death," finished Marik quietly. Malik shot him a glare as Ryo gave a dry sob.

* * *

Bakura groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. Where was he? He opened his eyes and saw dark purple above him. The Shadow Realm? Good, then that part of his spell had worked. He was free to move through the plains as he wished. But had the other half worked? He could've easily talked his way to where he needed to go, but if the second part hadn't worked he had no way to get back. If the second part hadn't worked then it would be over if he lost here.

Bakura sat up hesitantly, but felt no pain from the wounds the demons had inflicted. Of course. It was the body that was injured, not the soul, for the simple reason that a body would heal. A soul would not.

After a quick glance around, Bakura was able to pinpoint where he was and the fastest way out. The Shadow Realm _was_ like his second home, after all. He quickly found the hidden door out and entered the white marble hallway that he never wanted to see again.

The dark violet door closed behind Bakura. It had the Millennium Eye engraved upon it, as did the tall oak door at the other end of the hall that led to the Hall of Judgment. On his left were seven pure white doors and on his right were seven bloodred doors. The seven levels on Heaven and Hell.

The oak doors opened and a brunette Bakura recognized instantly bounced out. Bakura gave a very uncharacteristic squeak of fear and turned around. To his dismay he saw that there was no doorknob to the Shadow Realm's door on this side. He couldn't get in unless a God opened it for him. There was nowhere for him to hide. He was trapped.

"Hey, Bakura! How have you been? I've been good! I just got my Judgment! Why are you here? Don't tell me you died, too! Because I'd never want any of my friends to die!"

"I'm not your friend, Anzu," growled Bakura. "Now go the fuck away before I kill you again."

The threat didn't faze Anzu's mood at all. She continued to bounce up and down on the spot. "But friends shouldn't talk to other friends like that, it's not very nice. Why don't you want me to be your friend? Everyone needs friends, and you don't have very many. Only Marik and Malik and Ryo and Seto and I think Yami. You know, I just noticed you don't have and girl friends. Maybe if you had some girl friends you'd stop liking boys, because that's a little weird. You really should stop dating Ryo, he's your hikari, so wouldn't that be like a form of incest? I know! I'll be your first girl friend!" She said this all very fast.

Bakura let out a noise like an angry cat at the fact that "girl friend" was dangerously close to "girlfriend" but Anzu ignored him and continued to talk as if he were interested. "I think I've already got Yami thinking about breaking up with Yugi and going after me, his one true lo-"

She fell silent as Bakura's hand flew across her face. Maybe not the nicest way to shut her up, but the most satisfying. Bakura wiped his hand on his pant leg to get the Anzu germs off of it.

"I found ten things wrong with what you just said," he growled. "First of all, I have more people that I hang out with now than I ever wanted and don't want anymore. Second, I'm _gay_, as is your precious Pharaoh, who hates your guts. Third, Ryo is not blood related to me in any way shape or form. Fourth, incest is an Egyptian practice, so I wouldn't care if he was. Fifth, if you ever say the words 'girl' and 'friend' next to each other in a sentence to me again I will rip out your tongue. Sixth, I love Ryo and would die to protect him, hence the reason I'm here. Seventh, the Pharaoh loves Yugi and would never leave him for someone like you. Eighth, I don't want you as anything except a target. Ninth, I hate you more than I hate Yami, which is saying something. Tenth, shut the fuck up and go away before I kill you violently."

Anzu giggled. "You're so silly sometimes, Bakura! We're friends, right? Friends don't talk to other friends like that because of their friendly friendship. You're a good actor! It really sounded like you don't like me very much. But that can't be true because we're friends! And I can prove it because of what you did! Even though you didn't want to, you killed me to save me from all that pain. And I know you regret not being able to save me!"

"No, I killed you because it was fun and because it was something I wanted to do since before I even met you!" yelled Bakura. "And I _do_ regret killing you! Because if I hadn't I could've watched you choke to death on your own blood and I would've been highly amused by it, you bitch!"

"Are you going to your Judgment?" asked Anzu, throwing Bakura off with the abrupt change of topic. "Because if you are I'll wait for you! Then we can move on together! Oh, I hope you get into level five of Heaven, then we can spend eternity together, my friend! But you did some really bad stuff in your past, so maybe you won't but I hope you will, friendly friendship friends!"

With an annoyed-as-fuck growl, Bakura opened the closest door, which happened to be level six of Hell, and threw Anzu bodily into it. She was immediately beset upon by tiny versions of herself, all preaching about friendship. Bakura laughed evilly as he slammed the door closed. She would have to listen to herself for all eternity.

Bakura turned to the next and most ominous-looking door and stayed there. He cursed himself a thousand times for being unable to just open the door and enter. With an angry growl, he shoved his hands into his trenchcoat pockets, crying out as something sharp stabbed his palm.

Jerking his hand out of his pocket, he examined his hand, the sharp object still impaling his palm. It was his knife. His hand bled profusely, filling up the blade's thin blood channel and dripping down his wrist. Bakura yanked the knife out with a hiss, pressing his palm to his shirt as he examined the crimson-stained blade with surprise.

"But I dropped my knife for dramatic effect," he said to himself. "How could it…?"

Then Bakura shrugged and licked the blade clean. "Fuck continuity," he said, and he opened the door to the seventh level of Hell.

* * *

"What's going on?" asked Yugi.

The rain started pouring on them as the barrier started to crumble from the ceiling. The walls got lower and lower and everyone stopped to watch. Even Ryo halted his tireless attempts to break through.

"The Shadow Magic is dissolving," said Yami, ruby eyes dark with worry. "Shadow Magic only goes away if the user removes it himself or leaves this plane of exista-hey, where are you going?"

The second the wall was low enough to climb over Ryo had hauled himself over and started running towards where he had last felt Bakura's presence. He had to find out if it was true but wishing to God that it wasn't. He could hear the others running after him, but he didn't slow for them.

Ryo swung around a corner and stopped so suddenly that Malik, who was the fastest runner and closest to him, plowed into him. Marik, Yami, and Yugi caught up and gasped in horror.

Bakura lay on his side in the middle of the street. His knife lay in a puddle beside him. His clothes were torn up and his body was sliced open, many of the wounds still oozing blood. The puddles around his body and the rain were helping to spread the blood out, coloring the road with a thin layer of crimson. But his bloody face was content.

Ryo started forward but Marik caught one arm, Yami grabbing the other. "I need to help him. Let go." Ryo's wet bangs hid his eyes and his voice was expressionless.

"No way, Ry," said Marik.

"Let me go, Marik." Again in that same flat voice.

"No!" said Yami. "We're doing this to protect you!"

"But if you don't let me go to him," said Ryo flatly, "who's going to protect you?"

Ryo started to struggle and Yami and Marik tightened their grips on his upper arms. Ryo kicked Marik hard in the knee and elbowed him in the gut as hard as he could. Marik let go with a grunt of pain. Yami, now holding on to Ryo alone, swung Ryo around to face him.

"Ryo, Ryo, _stop it_!!" he yelled.

Ryo abruptly stopped struggling and his face grew expressionless. His hair was still covering his eyes. "I can help him. I know he hasn't left me. He promised he would never leave me. Let me go help him, Yami."

"No," said Yami sternly. "I'm just trying to protect you from being hurt!"

"Let go of me." His voice was quieter and sounded more threatening even though it was still said without emotion.

"No! Ryo, you can't help him!"

"Be quiet."

"Nobody can help him anymore!"

"Be quiet." Ryo's voice grew quieter still. It was no longer emotionless and was heavy with malice.

"He's gone!"

"_SHUT UP_!!" Ryo's head shot up as he gave Yami a glare that even Bakura had never managed. His chocolate irises were wine-red with fury and his hair spiked. He struck Yami across the face so hard that it stung his hand.

Yami released him in surprise and pain. Ryo took the opportunity to rush over to his yami. He checked and triple-checked for any signs of life at all. When he found none, he started to sob and hyperventilate and say Bakura's name over and over. Malik and Yugi crouched next to him and hugged him tightly in sympathy.

"There's nothing you can do, Ry," said Malik in a slightly choked voice; Bakura had been one of his best friends. "He's gone."

Ryo's wail of grief could be heard across the city.

* * *

_Whoever said that Hell was a fiery pit of despair,_ thought Bakura, _was dead right._

Bakura didn't know how long he had been wandering the blazing red abyss. He tread cautiously, as steam and flame kept erupting from the ground under his feet. He had already been burned more then once when it had happened too suddenly for his quick reflexes to save him.

A small part of Bakura wanted to give in to the fear and despair, but the rest of him was determined to go on. Zorc was here somewhere, and with him would be the crystal. If it was smashed, this would all end.

Bakura was very concerned by the fact that he had not met anything. No demons, no damned souls, nothing. This was not normal for any of the planes of existence. Was he really the only one here?

Bakura passed a thin crevice and thought he saw a flash inside it. He backed up and looked inside. It was a tunnel and there was something shiny and black at the end. Knowing full well that he was in deep shit if he was wrong or if he was right, Bakura started to squeeze through the crevice big enough for him to fit in. But not comfortably.

When the claustrophobic moment was over, Bakura found himself in an enormous cavern of bloodred rock. And in the center of the huge red cave was a giant onyx-colored gem, as large as Zorc Necrophades himself. And Zorc was nowhere to be seen.

Hardly daring to breathe, Bakura raised his knife over his head. The crystal was enormous, but if it was as fragile and his captive had said than it would break with a few well-aimed stabs.

**How lovely of you to drop in, Bakura Touzoku.**

Bakura whipped around. "Zorc," he spat at the demon emerging from the shadows.

**That is what I have been called. You, on the other hand, I believe your angel calls you "Kura."**

"Leave Ryo out of this," snarled Bakura.

**Of course, Touzoku. And I should let you know that the only way to destroy the gem with that puny butter knife is to stab it from the center on the top.**

Bakura started in surprise. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked warily.

**Because I know you will not be able to get past me to get to it.**

"That's what you think," spat Bakura.

**You are a fool. You cannot outfight Zorc Necrophades.**

"I'll just wait until you start monologuing. Then I'll strike."

Zorc's glowing eyes narrowed. **Very well.**

Bakura only just dived out of the way as Zorc's clawed hand slashed the air where he had been half a second before. "Missed!" taunted Bakura, but cut himself off with a small cry of surprise as one of Zorc's fireballs set then bottom of his trenchcoat alight.

Hurriedly stepping on the flames, Bakura ran, his slightly smoking trenchcoat flying behind him. He could hear claws crashing behind him and feel the heat from the fire. The bottom edge of his trenchcoat was soon ripped to shreds. Rocks showered down, knocked loose from the impacts.

Putting on a burst of speed, Bakura dove around the crystal and pressed his back against the narrow stone base. The room fell silent. A bad sign.

**How stupid do you think I am, Touzoku?**

"You really don't want me to answer that," called Bakura before he hurriedly clapped his hand over his mouth in horror at giving away his position so easily, cursing his own thoughtlessness.

**I already knew where you were, thief. I am not that stupid.**

"Come and get me then!" challenged Bakura. The ground started to shake as Zorc began walking. Bakura started to creep around the crystal in what he hoped was the same direction as Zorc. He was dead if they crossed paths. He knew he was taking a huge risk. Zorc would grow impatient of this game before long.

**I see you, Touzoku.**

There was a flash of claws and Bakura was on the ground, hot blood flowing from the three deep slashes on his back. His vision swam as his body sought refuge from the pain, but Bakura forced himself to stay conscious.

Zorc loomed over him. **You are finished, thief.**

"Not…nng…yet," groaned Bakura as he struggled to pull himself to his feet.

Bakura quickly and painfully threw himself out of the way of Zorc's second strike. He fled, quickly removing himself from Zorc's vision and wedging himself into a crevice.

"Why do you want me dead more than Yami? He's the one who sealed you away!" Bakura yelled, glad that his voice echoed inside the crevice, not betraying his position.

**Atem sealed me away, but he would not have if you had not tried to help me!**

Bakura peeked out. Zorc's back was to him, and the crystal. Bakura silently left his safe cavern and began to scale the wall as quickly and silently as his injured back and hand would allow.

**The first time three thousand years ago it was your pride. Your arrogance and I-can-do-no-wrong behavior allowed Atem to defeat you when you could have easily won. Your pride has always been your greatest flaw, Bakura.**

So I began to create an army, shaping each new damned soul in my image. Turning them into broken creatures without pride. They would help me when they were ready.

But then you appeared again. At first I was skeptical that you were the same child who witnessed the obliviation of his village. But your pride was unmistakable, and I was foolish enough to give you another chance.

Bakura was more than halfway up the wall. His back burned with almost more pain than he could bare. Sharp rocks raggedly tore at the wound on his palm, and the rocks under that hand became slippery with blood.

**Your pride was no longer the problem, however. Your attention was divided. I anticipated your lust for revenge against Atem. What I did not anticipate was your feelings for your vessel. Your attention was divided trying to keep him safe in his soul room. The great Bakura King of Thieves had fallen in love. How pathetic! Your attentions to a boy worth nothing more than a sacrifice allowed the Pharaoh's brat to defeat you. You had failed me again. You have never and will never win.**

Bakura launched himself off the wall and landed clumsily on top of the crystal. Zorc did not turn around.

**Then I obtained the crystal shards and the power that came with them. And now my plan is nearly complete. Soon I will-**

"You're wrong!" shouted Bakura. Zorc turned around slowly, red eyes flashing with rage. "I told you I'd catch you monologuing." And he plunged his knife into the crystal. It cracked down the middle and shattered.

Zorc screamed in rage and caught Bakura as he fell, shoving him against the wall. Bakura whimpered in pain as his wounds collided with the stone.

**You cannot die as you are already dead, but your soul can still be destroyed!** roared Zorc.

He pressed, and Bakura felt his ribs crack and break, piercing his organs as they were forced in. Bakura's shriek of agony was cut off with a cough as the blood welled in his throat. Zorc raked his claws down Bakura's chest and impaled his gut with a claw. Bakura wanted nothing more than refuse from the pain, but his body refused to lose consciousness.

Holding Bakura up with the claw in his stomach, Zorc looked into Bakura's eyes, dull with pain, and used a blood-flecked claw to wipe away some of the blood trickling out of Bakura's mouth. Bakura felt the claw searching inside his torso, the serrated edge shredding his punctured organs, but all he could do was whimper and choke, and thrash weakly.

**Before your soul is completely gone,** laughed Zorc as he found what he was looking for, **care to tell me what I was wrong about?**

Bakura nodded once, weakly. There was no thought in his mind except for the two words he was about to tell Zorc. But before he could answer he gave a choked scream of agony as the demon ripped what he had been looking for out of Bakura's body. Zorc held Bakura's still weakly beating heart, scraps of flesh and muscle clinging to it, and crushed it between his claws.

Bakura rapidly started to fade as his soul was destroyed. But before he vanished he coughed up the blood pooled in his throat, smirked at Zorc and whispered what Zorc had been wrong about. "I win."

Then, nothing.

A/N I think Ryo got pissed. This was fun. This really was. Especially the part where Ryo went mental on Yami. Oh and my dad was the one who thought up the line Anzu said about liking boys and dating Ryo. He hates Yaoi and was reading over my shoulder. So I must give him credit for that.

Don't own Yugioh, but since it is my birthday can't you loan it to me for the day?

I had so much fun with this. I killed Bakura twice in the same chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Ryo sat on the floor in silence against the bed where Bakura's body lay. After fighting the others tooth and nail to let him stay with Bakura's body he had dragged it into their old house, and sat with him, not leaving his side, not eating, not sleeping.

Ryo didn't know what to think anymore. Bakura was dead, anyone could see that. But the last words Bakura had said to him still rang through his mind. _No matter what happens, no matter what you think, no matter what things seem, I want you to wait for me._

And wait Ryo had. But Bakura had also said that he would be a week at most. Ryo looked blankly out the window at the orange sky as the sun set on the seventh day. Ryo closed his smarting eyes in despair. They still stung with salt, though he had cried himself dry days ago.

He twirled Bakura's knife between his fingers as he debated what to do. Perhaps he should give Bakura another day, for he now understood what Bakura had meant: wait for him even if it seemed like he was gone. But if Bakura really was past helping, then why should he wait to join him?

"Forgive me, Bakura," Ryo whispered. He tilted his head back and pressed Bakura's knife to his throat. He jumped violently, nicking the skin a bit, as he felt a cold hand grip the wrist holding the knife.

"Don't even think about it."

Ryo dropped the knife in shock. He looked around slowly. Bakura lay propped up on his elbows with his eyes half open, one hand still gripping Ryo's wrist. "Ba…kura?" Ryo said hesitantly.

Bakura smirked. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"Bakura!!" Ryo tackled Bakura, forcing him back down on the bed, burying his face in his yami's chest and hugging him tightly.

"Ack, ribs, ribs! Ryo! Still broken!" Bakura squirmed as his ribs flared, but returned the hug just as tightly.

Ryo pressed his lips against Bakura's, hungrily shoving his tongue into Bakura's mouth. A battle for dominance ensued, which Bakura won. He began mapping out the wet cavern, and Ryo rolled over so that Bakura was on top of him. Bakura rolled over and found that he had reached the edge of the bed. He hit the floor with a grunt of pain, and Ryo squeaked as he landed on top of Bakura, effectively driving the wind out of the latter.

"You okay?" asked Ryo as Bakura hissed through his teeth.

"Yeah. I guess I got a bit more beaten up than I thought," he said slowly. "Ah, well, I'll live. Nowhere near as bad as what I went through back there. Do me a favor, will you?"

"Anything," said Ryo.

"_Never_ make Zorc that angry at you. He's not very nice." A thoughtful expression crossed Bakura's face and after a moment he added, "Also, please remove your elbow from my lung."

Ryo squeaked again and shifted. "What?" he asked as Bakura smirked.

"You make the cutest noises sometimes. I wonder what _other_ noises you can make," he whispered seductively.

Ryo smiled. "Not right now, but do you know what we should definitely do?"

"I can think of many things. Ooh, dirty thoughts, dirty thoughts."

"No. What we should do right now is go freak out Yami. You're supposed to be dead after all." Ryo smirked evilly, nearly matching his yami's infamous grin.

Bakura stared at Ryo in astonishment. "I love you," he stammered, hurriedly sitting up as Ryo laughed.

* * *

At the game shop, everyone felt the absence of Bakura. Marik and Malik were miserable and almost never went to their own home anymore. Yugi was trying to keep busy, but the work ethic simply wasn't there. Yami seemed undisturbed at first, but even his mood grew more somber as time moved on. Everyone was feeling the loss of the thief king.

None of them had seemed Ryo since the night Bakura had died. Every time someone suggested that they go see if he was alright, someone else would say, "Give him time."

"I miss Bakura," said Marik heavily.

"I miss _Ryo_," said Malik. "It almost feels as if we've lost both of them."

"I shouldn't have been so blunt with him!" cried Yami. "I must've sounded like such an ass! All he wanted was to see Bakura and I was trying to protect him from being hurt, I was just trying to…" He broke off and hung his head. Despite his attitude, the death of his greatest rival had hit him hard. He missed the tomb robber almost as much as the Ishtars did.

Yugi wrapped an arm around him and said soothingly, "No one could've protected him from the truth forever. He was grieving and not thinking straight. If you hadn't stood in his way, one of us would have."

"Aibou…," whispered Yami.

The bell on door of the shop area jingled. Ryo entered the living room with his head down.

"Ryo!" said Yugi. "Are…are you okay?" Ryo nodded mutely.

"Oh, Ry," said Malik. "Come here." He pulled Ryo into a tight hug.

"Ryo, I never should've tried to stop you from going to Bakura!" said Yami, leaping up. "You were so upset and, oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Why? What'd I miss?" asked Bakura, walking into the room and throwing himself down on the couch.

Marik fell off the other end of the couch with a cry of shock. Malik and Yugi shrieked and Malik glomped Bakura. Yami sank down on his old seat as his knees gave way. Bakura and Ryo were laughing; the reaction was priceless.

"Bakura…how?" asked Marik.

"I found out that the way to end this was with Zorc," said Bakura, pushing Malik off of him. "So I figured someone, meaning me, had to go to him in Hell. And there was only one way to get there."

Malik slammed his hands down on the coffee table and stood up. "On a super special roller coaster with loops and twists and turns!?" he asked.

Bakura stared at him. "Only you," he said.

Malik looked around at everyone giving him funny looks. "What?"

"Anyway…," said Yugi after a time.

"So, yeah, I allowed myself to be killed, destroyed the thing, and pissed off Zorc," Bakura finished. "No roller coasters were involved," he added to Malik.

"Aww," said Malik.

"But that doesn't explain how you got back," pointed out Ryo.

"Before I died I split my soul and sealed half of it in the Ring," explained Bakura. "I put it in a dormant state that would only activate and inhabit my body when the dominant half in Hell was destroyed, which I had planned to do myself if Zorc didn't, but he was more that happy t-"

"Question," said Marik, raising his hand. "How exactly did Zorc kill you?"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Nothing, besides breaking all my ribs, shredding my organs, and ripping out my still-beating heart. Quick and painless. I highly recommend making him mad." He gave an involuntary shudder. "Oh, hikaris, don't do that, it's not good for you. Now, does anyone have a non-stupid question to ask?"

Malik raised his hand. "So there wasn't a super special roller coaster with loops and twists and turns?"

"No," said Bakura impatiently.

"Goddammit, Isis lied to me!" exclaimed Malik.

"Ooh, pick me, pick me!" said Marik. Bakura looked at him. "Will you tell us a story about a bunny?"

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Once there was a little white bunny. He met an annoying Egyptian with ridiculous hair and his hikari. They asked the bunny stupid questions about getting to Hell on a roller coaster. So the little white bunny ate their heads. The end."

Yami snorted with laughter and Yugi and Ryo giggled. Malik looked offended. Marik looked confused.

"Marik gets a cookie if he can figure out the subliminal messaging in that," said Yugi.

Bakura got to his feet. "While Marik tries to figure out why the Baku-bunny is omnomnomming on his head, _I_ am going to KaibaCorp."

"Any particular reason why?" asked Yami.

"Yep. We all have trashed houses, we all need money to fix them, and _I_ am the only one who can effectively sweet-talk Seto." Bakura ruffled Ryo's hair. "You wanna come with me? I might even get Seto to get me one of his trenchcoats if you give him the Eyes. This one is a little…fucked. Pity, I liked this one."

Ryo hopped to his feet and they were out the door and gone.

A/N *sniff* that's it. It's over. I'm is sad. But when you run out of plot, there's not much else you can do. I really do think that Bakura's death and return hints I dropped EVERYWHERE were too subtle. Ah, well, you can't have everything in life. I hope you liked Bakura's bunny story. Oh, and "A super special roller coaster with loops and twists and turns!?" was a line written by LeanMeanWaffle, and this is the only chapter of this fic she has read XD Just to see her line and the plays on it later. That was our conversation. I said there was only one way to get to Hell and she slammed her hands on our lunch table and stood up and said it. I lol'd hard.

Don't own the Yugioh, but Ra knows I wish I did.

I think my Author's Note at the end says everything I want to. Except that I want to cry right now. You guys have no idea how much I loved writing this and how much fun I had. I don't know what's next. I have a pre-written oneshot and am writing a second, but I don't really have a big project in mind. I'll think of something that isn't stupid, like some of the shit I've thought of. In Algebra today I thought "I should make one of the Egyptiant Gods change Ryo's sex out of spite to bakura and Ryo gets pregnant!" And then I thought "What the fuck have I been smoking?"


End file.
